Keep on dreaming': could Europe really defend itself without the US?

"The Nato secretary general, Mark Rutte, was typically blunt when he met members of the European parliament this week. From the dais of the blond-wood committee room in Brussels, he was clear: If anyone thinks that the European Union, or Europe as a whole, can defend itself without the US, keep on dreaming. You can't. We can't. And if Europe wanted to supplant the US nuclear deterrent, existing spending commitments would have to double, he added so hey, good luck!"

"His comments left some MEPs fuming. The former Dutch prime minister who provoked mockery when he called Donald Trump Daddy had already irritated some deputies with his robust defence of the US president's interest in the Arctic. France's foreign minister, Jean-Noel Barrot, chided Rutte a day later on social media: Europeans can and must take charge of their own security. Even the United States agrees. It is the European pillar of Nato. Spain's foreign minister, Jose Manuel Albares, suggested a different approach:"

Mark Rutte asserted that Europe cannot defend itself without US support and that existing spending would need to double to replace the US nuclear deterrent. His comments provoked anger among some MEPs and followed earlier controversial remarks. France's foreign minister argued that Europeans must assume responsibility for their own security and labeled it the European pillar of NATO. Spain's foreign minister proposed pursuing a European army while acknowledging the long and complex process required. Debate continues over whether such a force would be EU-based or Europe-wide and whether it would be newly commanded or built from existing structures. Analysts view the idea as visionary to supporters and symbolic of overreach to critics.

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