NATO chief says Europeans have ‘gotten message’ from Trump on defence

AFP | Yerevan

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Europeans have “heard” US President Donald Trump’s message of frustration over the Iran war and are “stepping up”, NATO chief Mark Rutte said yesterday after Washington announced it would withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany.

“European leaders have gotten the message. They heard the message loud and clear,” Rutte said before talks with European leaders in Armenia, acknowledging “dis - appointment on the US side” faced with European allies’ resistance to joining the war. “ Europeans are stepping up, a bigger role for Europe and a stronger NATO,” Rutte insisted ahead of a European Political Community meeting dominated by the twin security threats posed by the Ukraine and Middle East wars.

“We have seen all these countries now participating with their bilateral agreements making sure that when it comes to basing requests and all the logistical support,” Rutte said.

EU top diplomat Kaja Kallas called the announcement’s “timing” a “surprise”. “I think it shows that we have to really strengthen the European pillar in NATO, and we have to really do more,” Kallas said, while stressing that “American troops are not in Europe only for protecting European interests, but also American interests.”

“Europeans are taking their destiny into their own hands, increasing their defence and security spending, and building their own common solutions,” French President Emmanuel Macron said.

“We have to step up our military capabilities to be able to defend and protect ourselves,” EU chief Ursula von der Leyen told reporters.