NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called on European members to focus on providing concrete solutions instead of complaints at the Munich Security Conference. Rutte also confirmed that a new agreement for defense spending targets will be reached at the June summit in the Hague.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Saturday offered some blunt advice to European members of the military alliance: stop complaining and present solutions. The NATO chief also confirmed that the alliance would reach a new agreement for defense spending targets when members meet in June for a summit in the Hague, Netherlands.
"Get into the debate, not by complaining …. but by coming up with concrete ideas," he told the Munich Security Conference. MUNICH, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 15: NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte walks outside the main venue at the 61st Munich Security Conference on February 15, 2025 in Munich, Germany. International defence and security leaders from around the world are gathering for the February 14-16 conference. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Saturday offered some blunt advice to European members of the military alliance in the face of a more confrontational U.S.: stop complaining and present solutions. "Get into the debate, not by complaining …. but by coming up with concrete ideas," he told the Munich Security Conference. The NATO chief also confirmed that the alliance would reach a new agreement for defense spending targets when members meet in June for a summit in the Hague, Netherlands. Speaking on a panel alongside Rutte, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham said that Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his offensive against Ukraine, had done more than any NATO member to galvanize increases in military spending. "Putin has done more to help NATO than we have," he said, adding that the Russian leader had made a "serious miscalculation." The thorny issue of NATO defense spending is a key part of growing division and discomfort between the U.S. and Europe. Trump's relationship with the Western military alliance was acrimonious during his first presidency, with the Republican leader frequently lambasting NATO member states for not abiding by a 2014 target to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense every year. Ahead of his second term in office, Trump signaled that the debate over military spending — and Trump's perception that NATO members are over-reliant on the U.S. for their own security — will be back on the agenda, stating that NATO's 32 member countries should contribute even more toward defense."They can all afford it, but they should be at 5%, not 2%", he said at a press conference in whichThere has been a broad increase in defense expenditure among NATO members since Trump was last in power. In 2018, at the height of the White House leader's irritation with the military bloc, only six member states met the 2% of GDP target.in 2024. While some surpassed that threshold — such as Poland, Estonia, the U.S., Latvia and Greece — major economic powers including Canada, Spain and Italy are among the laggards below the contribution threshold. No NATO member has reached a 5% target suggested by Trump, including Washington under the administration of his predecessor Joe Biden.
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