US has a stronger partner in Europe since NATO allies upped defense spending, Rutte says

• NATO chief Mark Rutte says Europe is becoming a stronger defense partner for the US and reducing reliance on Washington.
• He described NATO’s current transformation as the biggest shift in the alliance since the end of the Cold War.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Europe is becoming a stronger partner for the United States as the alliance works to reduce its reliance on Washington and expand defense capabilities across member states.

Speaking during a NATO-EU meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Turkey, Rutte said Europe could no longer depend heavily on the US for its defense needs.

"We cannot continue, as we did, being over reliant on the United States," Rutte said. "We need this much stronger Europe and a stronger NATO."

Rutte said NATO’s priority is to strengthen defense industries across Europe, Canada, and the US, pointing to increased production capacity and the opening of new factories in Europe.

He described the ongoing changes as a major transformation for the alliance, saying Europe is assuming greater responsibility for NATO’s defense.

"What we are seeing at the moment is a transformation, which is unparalleled since the end of the Cold War, where Europe is taking so much more responsibility for NATO," Rutte said.

Rutte said the changes have created a NATO in which the US has a stronger European partner than it did five years ago.

"It is a NATO transformed, where the US has a strong partner in Europe, much more so than five years ago," he said, adding that the shift makes the entire alliance stronger.