NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Friday the alliance is on a stronger path while gradually reducing reliance on a single ally as foreign ministers gathered for a summit in Sweden.
"The trajectory we are on, which is a stronger Europe and a stronger NATO, making sure we will over time, step by step, be less reliant on one ally only, as we have been for so long," Rutte told reporters ahead of the meeting.
Rutte said the shift would give the US greater room to focus on other priorities as European allies increase defense spending.
"This is necessary not only to equalize what you're spending with the United States, but also to make sure that we have what we need to determine defend against our adversaries," he added.
The NATO chief also underscored that the US would continue to play a key role in Europe in both nuclear and conventional defense while Europeans assume greater responsibility.
"Europeans have heard the message when it comes to European bases. These are bilateral commitments by European countries with United States, so that the United States can use these bilateral commitments for operations they have elsewhere in the world," he said.
His remarks came amid recent US criticism of some alliance members for not allowing their military bases to be used during the Iran war.
Rutte reaffirmed that European allies are fulfilling what the US could expect under bilateral commitments regarding access to their military bases.
He also pointed to European allies' efforts in the Strait of Hormuz, saying "we can be maximum helpful as European allies with United States."
"The Strait of Hormuz is at this moment choked off, and the free movement of navigation is seriously under threat here. So, of course, this is an interest also for all allies, not for NATO, maybe as an alliance, but clearly wherever we can help, we will be there," Rutte added.
