NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated on Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos that it is necessary to protect the Arctic from Russian and Chinese influence, emphasizing that he agrees with the position of US President Donald Trump on this point.
Rutte called for "well-thought-out diplomacy" to manage tensions around Greenland, suggesting that territorial issues be handled away from public attention, while the focus remains on collective security and the Alliance's strategic interests.
Praising Trump's role, the NATO chief stressed that the pressure exerted by the US administration has significantly influenced the increase in defense spending by European countries. According to him, without this pressure, some large economies such as Spain, Italy and Belgium would not reach the target of spending 2 percent of Gross Domestic Product on defense by 2025.
Rutte mentioned Poland as one of the US's closest allies and noted the difficulties member states are facing in increasing military production capacities.
Regarding concerns expressed by Trump over Europe's readiness to react in the event of NATO's Article 5 activation, Rutte assured that Europe would fulfill its obligations, citing as an example the support of allies after the September 11 attacks.
He underlined that the security of the United States is directly linked to a secure Arctic, Atlantic, and Europe, emphasizing that NATO remains essential not only for the defense of Europe, but also for US strategic interests.
