Former US President Donald Trump-long hostile to many NATO members and the alliance itself, which he reportedly threatened to leave more than once-was right on one point, according to a former alliance chief: The European allies have not done enough for their own defense.
"NATO is needed more today than ever, and we have neglected defense for years," Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, who served as NATO secretary general from 2004-2009, told Dutch-based De Ochtend radio.
He added that "Europe must invest much more in defense," stressing: "We now have to bring investments up to standard at a rapid pace, but you can't buy a frigate off the shelf. It will take time to get to the desired level."
On why Europe has not invested enough in defense, the former Dutch diplomat and politician said: "We sat on the beach, had a glass of white wine, and thought that eternal peace broke out."
"There's actually only peace and stability in our Western European DNA. Eastern Europe has repeatedly warned us about Russia and we haven't listened enough. Now we have to fix that at a rapid pace," he stated.
De Hoop Scheffer said the goal of member countries spending at least 2% of their gross domestic products on defense, as decided in 2014, falls short: "To bring NATO back up to standard, 3 to 4 percent is actually needed."
On the possibility of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte being elected NATO's next secretary general, De Hoop Scheffer said: "Rutte has a big advantage: because he has been prime minister for so long, everyone knows him and he knows everyone."
"He has built up great authority in recent years and if an agreement is reached, he is the right person to bring everyone together," he said.
Trump, the Republican frontrunner in the 2024 US presidential race, was widely criticized for remarks he made in February, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg saying they undermine "all of our security."
Trump told a campaign rally: "NATO was busted until I came along. I said, 'Everybody's gonna pay.' They said, 'Well, if we don't pay, are you still going to protect us?' I said, 'Absolutely not.' They couldn't believe the answer."
He said "one of the presidents of a big country" once asked him if the US would still defend their country if they were invaded by Russia, even if they did not "pay."
"No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills," said Trump.
NATO has set goals for defense spending in member states, but it is not a requirement, and the alliance's famous Article 5 on collective defense-an attack on one is an attack against all-says nothing about defense spending.
