Donald Trump, the Republican candidate who won the presidential election, is well aware that NATO is part of the US defence, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed at a press conference in Ādaži on Thursday, the 14th of November.
Together with leading Latvian officials, Rutte visited the Ādaži Military Training Area, where the first full-scale exercise of the Multinational Brigade in Latvia, Resolute Warrior 2024, was demonstrated.
As this was supposedly an Article 5 North Atlantic Treaty scenario exercise, the NATO Secretary General responded to a question on what his message would be to European allies who are concerned about Trump’s previous statements on Article 5 of the NATO Treaty and the Alliance’s responsibilities.
The NATO Secretary General pointed out that he had worked with Trump for four years when he was Prime Minister of the Netherlands. He believes that Trump will do whatever is necessary to defend the US. Rutte also called on people to look around them. In particular, North Korean soldiers are active in Russia and are helping in its war against Russia, which Russia is paying for, for example, with missile technology that it is supplying to North Korea. This is a direct threat not only to Europe, but also to Japan, South Korea and the US mainland, Rutte stressed.
He mentioned that China is supplying Russia with dual-use goods that help Russia in its war efforts, while Iran is supplying Russia with drones and other technology that Russia is paying for, bypassing sanctions. This, in turn, enables Iran to continue its negative influence in the Middle East and even beyond.
“Russia, China, North Korea and Iran are cooperating. The US understands that NATO exists not only to defend Europe and the US, but also to work together to ensure that the Indo-Pacific, the transatlantic region, is safe. I look forward to working with Trump,” said Rutte.
The Resolute Warrior 2024 exercise was conducted without US troops. Asked if this was proof that NATO can do without the US, the NATO Secretary General stressed that the US is an integral part of NATO. The US is a founding member of NATO, which is not in the alliance just to avoid repeating the lessons of history. The US is an integral part of collective defence, Rutte pointed out.
“We need the US and vice versa. We need to work together. Since 2016, Trump has been pushing NATO members to spend more and we can see what has happened. Latvia spends more than 3% of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defence. All Member States should do the same and follow this example,” said the NATO Secretary General.
President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs pointed out that the US was, is and will be an indispensable partner for Europe and its security, but it is clear to all that defence and security need to be made stronger. Not only defence spending needs to be increased, but also the defence industry needs to be mobilised. The Alliance, he said, must be prepared for the full range of hybrid challenges that countries have faced, are facing or will face. Rinkēvičs expressed the hope that the US presence in this part of Europe and in Europe as a whole will continue.
Asked whether Ukraine’s invitation to join the alliance was a possible element to reach an amicable settlement with Russia, Rutte explained that it was the Ukrainian government’s decision to start negotiations on joining NATO and with Russia on ending the war. The NATO Secretary General stressed that the Ukrainian government has to take this decision from a position of strength.
That is why defence assistance and support must continue to be delivered to Ukraine to ensure that Ukrainians can reach a position of strength and make the decision they need to make.
Rinkēvičs also pointed out that there is speculation about what the new US administration’s plan for Ukraine will be. The President of Latvia would prefer to wait for this plan and discuss these issues with the new US administration. He pointed out that Russia was not willing to come to the negotiating table at the moment. It is stepping up military operations and actions. The President also made two points: that a peace plan without Ukraine’s participation cannot be accepted, but that Russia must also be ready to come to the negotiating table.
The President of Latvia explained that at the Washington Summit NATO member states reaffirmed that the question was not whether Ukraine would become a member of the Alliance, but when it would happen. In his view, it was about working together to achieve the best possible solution for Ukraine. Rinkēvičs stressed that strong security guarantees need to be developed.
“Until now, my conviction has been that Ukraine’s membership of NATO is the only real security guarantee. Whether we can all agree as NATO allies, as this is an unanimous decision of 32 member states, remains to be seen, but there are countries that are ready to work to achieve this goal,” the President of Latvia said.
Asked what issues NATO members need to agree on before the summit in The Hague, Rutte stressed the need to be sure that Ukraine will win, and Vladimir Putin will lose. There is also a need to talk about more spending on defence, because 2% of GDP is simply not enough anymore. Member States will also have to discuss defence production, which is insufficient, in the coming months. More needs to be done to increase stockpiles, he said, so that the Alliance is ready to face any challenge.