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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte described today's meeting of defense ministers in Brussels as unlike any other NATO meeting he had attended.
Rutte said he has been to many meetings since 2010, but added that this time he noticed a noticeable change. He told reporters that the discussions focused on strengthening deterrence and defense, as well as continuing support for Ukraine, topics that, according to him, have been constantly present on the alliance's agenda. However, Rutte stressed that this time the situation presents a new element.
"I saw evidence of something else... a real change in mindset. A much stronger European defense within NATO. Everyone around the table had a sense of urgency and responsibility for how we are cooperating on prevention and defense ," he declared.
Asked why the absence of US official Pete Hegseth does not indicate a change in priorities from Washington and what a more European-led NATO would look like, Rutte replied that he sees no reason for concern.
“ I don’t want to make our adversaries smarter by going into all the details, but first of all, Pete Hegseth and I have a very good relationship… there is close cooperation. You have to understand that the US is the largest country in the world, with the most powerful military… they are fully committed to NATO, they are anchored in NATO. I don’t worry about senior American officials having to deal with issues in their hemisphere,” he said.
Regarding a NATO with a more prominent European role, Rutte called on European countries to increase defense spending.
"What I see today is that this is not only happening, but the change of mindset that is essential to make this sustainable is present in the hall ," Rutte added.
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