NATO Chief Warns ‘Dreaming’ Europe It Cannot Defend Itself Without U.S. Support

Europe is “dreaming” if it thinks it can defend itself without U.S. support. So says NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte who warned Monday the European Union (E.U.) would have to more than double current military spending targets to be able to replicate America’s contribution to the security of the continent.

“If anyone thinks here … that the European Union or Europe as a whole can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming. You can’t,” Rutte told E.U. lawmakers in Brussels per an AP report.

Europe and the United States “need each other,” he further warned as Russia continues to hammer at the door in Eastern Europe with its aggression against Ukraine.

NATO’s geo-political ambitions have been tested since U.S. President Donald Trump’s renewed his push to annex