NATO Chief Says Europe Should "Keep on Dreaming" if it Thinks it Can Defend Itself

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte has told Europe it should “keep on dreaming” if it believes it can defend itself without the support of the United States, Caitlin Donaher reported for CNN.

The NATO chief warned that European nations would need to increase defense spending to 10% of GDP if they “really want to do it alone.” (Photo: North Atlantic Treaty Organization - NATO Flickr) 

“If anyone thinks here again that the European Union (EU), or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the US, keep on dreaming. You can’t. We can’t. We need each other,” Rutte said during an address to the European Parliament in Brussels.

The NATO chief warned that European nations would need to increase defense spending to 10% of GDP if they “really want to do it alone,” adding they would also need to build up their own nuclear capability at a cost of billions of euros.

“In that scenario, you will lose the ultimate guarantor of our freedom, which is the US nuclear umbrella. So hey, good luck,” he said.

The comments followed a rollercoaster week for Europe and its Western allies after President Donald Trump continued to advance demands for US ownership of

Greenland before publicly ruling out the use of force to annex the Arctic island during his speech at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland.

Rutte continued to praise Trump for raising the issue of Arctic security, acknowledging that his defense of the president would likely irritate many in the room.