NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called for closer defence ties with the European Union against the backdrop of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.
Rutte met Members of the European Parliament in Brussels on Monday for talks on support for Ukraine and wider European security, the parliamentary press service reported.
The NATO chief took part in an exchange of views with MEPs from the Parliament’s Security and Defence Committee (SEDE) and Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET), with the meeting held alongside the Parliament’s delegation for relations with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly.
He described NATO efforts to provide military and humanitarian support to Ukraine, including work through the Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) — a list used to match Ukraine’s most urgent needs with support from allies.
Rutte also raised Russia’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during winter, as discussions continue on securing what he called a “just and lasting peace” for Ukraine.
Defence spending and NATO–EU co-operation
NATO allies are increasing defence investment, innovation and production in response to security challenges, Rutte told the MEPs.
“It’s fair and appropriate that Europe and Canada take more responsibility for their own security, and the good news is they do,” he said.
The NATO head declared that “a more capable European defence is crucial” and welcomed European Union efforts to support increases in defence investment and industrial capacity, while stressing that NATO and EU work on defence should be complementary.
The contributions of NATO allies that are not in the EU are “indispensable for collective defence”, he said.
Close NATO–EU co-operation was also discussed, including improving military mobility, boosting the defence industry, and supporting Ukraine.
“My argument will be, let’s be practical, let’s be realistic when it comes to our security. We need to leverage our respective strength … that’s the only way to keep Europe safe,” Rutte concluded.
