NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised Europe's transformative shift in defence and military cooperation during the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
Speaking at the event, widely seen as a moment for Europe to reclaim its strategic autonomy, Rutte highlighted that the US spent decades complaining about Europe's low defence spending, but this has now changed.
Rutte emphasised that Europe is "rising." He noted that European nations are taking on a more leading role within NATO and investing significantly more in their own defence, calling it a "staggering change."
Under pressure from US President Donald Trump, all NATO allies have committed to investing 5% of their GDP in defence.
Trump's presidency has brought significant strain to the transatlantic alliance, as he has repeatedly threatened to withdraw from NATO.
Trump's recent attempt to snatch Denmark's autonomous territory, threatening military takeover, has also put the relationship between Europe and the US in question.
