Europe’s top military leader delivered a blunt message in late January 2026: the continent still needs the United States for its defence, and thinking otherwise is “wishful thinking.”
At a session of the European Parliament in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Europe can’t rely on its own military strength without the help of the U.S. military. “If anyone thinks the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the U.S., keep on dreaming. You can’t,” Rutte told lawmakers. He added that Europe and the United States “need each other.”
Rutte’s comments came amid renewed debate about Europe’s defence, sparked in part by tensions within the alliance over Greenland and broader security issues. U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threats involving the Arctic territory of Greenland raised questions in Europe about American reliability as a security partner, even though those specific threats were later dropped following talks.
Some European leaders have pushed for greater “strategic autonomy”, meaning the ability for Europe to defend itself without heavy dependence on the United States. France has been especially vocal on this idea. But Rutte cautioned that building such a capability would be extremely expensive and difficult.
Rutte said that NATO allies agreed last year to increase defence spending, aiming for 5 percent of GDP by 2035, but that still falls short of what would be needed for Europe to defend itself independently. Rutte argued that without the U.S., Europe might need to spend closer to 10 percent of its economic output on defence and even invest in its own nuclear forces to match U.S. capabilities, a cost of “billions and billions” of euros.
He also warned that Europe would risk losing the U.S. nuclear umbrella, a key part of NATO’s deterrence strategy, if it tried to go it alone. The “nuclear umbrella” refers to America’s guarantee to protect European allies with its nuclear weapons if they are threatened.
Not all leaders agree with Rutte’s stance. Some argue Europe should take more control of its own security and reduce dependence on Washington. They point to global tensions with Russia and China as reasons to strengthen European defence cooperation.
For now, though, NATO’s top leader says the alliance remains strongest together, and Europe’s security will be harder to maintain without Washington’s involvement.
