NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte heads to Washington next week to meet President Trump—and the message is clear: Europe can’t defend itself without America.
Rutte recently admitted Europe still depends heavily on U.S. military power and nuclear protection, warning that going it alone would cost European nations far more in defense spending.
After years of criticism from Trump over NATO burden-sharing, pressure is growing for allies to increase defense contributions and rely less on American taxpayers.
Trump’s stance remains simple: allies must pay their fair share—or handle their own security.
