NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Saturday insisted that the US remains fully committed to the alliance, pushing back against calls for Europe to pursue military independence from Washington.
"I am absolutely convinced that the US stands fully behind NATO. There is no doubt about that," Rutte told German news agency DPA on Friday.
Rutte, however, acknowledged that European countries need to take on greater responsibility for their own defense, including by increasing military spending.
He stressed that this should happen in close cooperation with the US and within NATO's transatlantic framework.
Concerns in Europe have intensified since the Trump administration released a new National Security Strategy earlier this month. The 33-page document wared that the continent faces "civilizational erasure."
It also signaled a major shift in US foreign policy, saying "the days of the US propping up the entire world order like Atlas are over," and that Washington will pivot away from Europe towards the Western Hemisphere.
The strategy also called for re-establishing "strategic stability" with Moscow, despite Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and accusations from EU nations that the Kremlin is conducting a broader hybrid warfare campaign against the bloc.
Despite the concerns, Rutte said the US remains fully committed to NATO and will continue its military engagement in Europe.
He said most of the alliance's economic and military power lies outside the EU, largely in the US, underlining the continued importance of transatlantic cooperation.
