Europe is dealing with a major diplomatic dispute after France strongly rejected NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s recent claim that the continent cannot defend itself without the United States. The French government quickly responded to Rutte after he told the European Parliament that Europe could not handle its own defense needs without American support.
According to Politico, Rutte also dismissed the idea of a strong “European pillar” within NATO, calling it “a bit of an empty word.” He pushed back against the concept of a unified European army, which has been gaining support again thanks to people like EU Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.
This led to an immediate and sharp response from Paris. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot stated directly: “No, dear Mark Rutte. Europeans can and must take charge of their own security. Even the United States agrees. This is the European pillar of NATO.”
France and other European nations push back on outdated security narratives
Barrot’s point about the U.S. actually agreeing is very important right now. President Trump’s administration has been clear about wanting to reduce Washington’s direct role in European security matters. A new U.S. National Defense Strategy, published recently, laid out expectations for European partners.
The strategy says that Europeans must take the lead in handling threats, arguing that the continent has the economic and military strength needed to defend itself against Russia. President Trump already convinced European nations to increase their defense spending last year, pushing budgets up to 5 percent of their GDPs.
France has snapped back at NATO chief Mark Rutte in a feud over Europe’s defense muscle.
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The tension comes as Trump’s broader strategy toward NATO continues to create uncertainty across the alliance. Barrot was not the only French official who disagreed with Rutte’s comments. The response from the French political and diplomatic community was quick and harsh, suggesting that Rutte’s approach is outdated.
Muriel Domenach, France’s former ambassador to NATO, posted on social media to voice her disapproval. She wrote that Rutte’s comments were neither “the right question” nor “the right answer.” She argued that “brandishing European weakness to secure the U.S. guarantee is an outdated approach and sends the wrong message to Russia.”
MEP Nathalie Loiseau, a former French minister who was present when Rutte made these remarks, accused Rutte of playing politics to gain favor with the current administration in Washington. “It was a disgraceful moment,” Loiseau said. “Rutte thinks that being rude with Europeans will please Trump. We don’t need a Trump zealot.
NATO needs to rebalance between US and European efforts.” Meanwhile, Democrats are attempting to block tariffs on NATO countries as concerns grow. Other high-ranking European officials seem to agree with the French view on self-reliance.
French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin told French radio that “what we see today is the necessity of NATO’s European pillar.” Finnish President Alexander Stubb publicly contradicted Rutte’s assessment last week at Davos, stating that Europeans are capable of defending themselves.
