NATO chief comments on Pentagon leak about US shift in Eurasian strategy
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has expressed the view that the US has the right to shift its focus from Europe and Russia to China.
Source: Rutte at a press conference ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, as reported by European Pravda
Details: Rutte was forced to respond to journalists' questions regarding a recent article in The Washington Post which stated that the Pentagon's strategy would prioritise the conflict with China, while the threat from Russia would largely be a matter for European allies.
In his response, Rutte effectively sided with the American approach, stating that it is important for Alliance members to recognise threats beyond Russia.
"What we need to do is to make sure that we have everything it takes to defend our Euro-Atlantic area. And we also know that threats are manifold also outside the Euro-Atlantic area, and that means that when it comes to the US, but also to other NATO allies and for the Alliance as a whole, that we have to be aware of what is happening in the Indo-Pacific," he said, justifying Washington’s policy shift.
"It is understandable also for the US that over time, they want to focus more and more also on that part of the world, and it is only logical for the Europeans to step up even more [in Europe's defence – ed.]," Rutte said, expressing confidence that maintaining global stability is a shared interest of all the allies. "Together with the US as 32 [NATO member states] to be very much aware that the threats are not only limited to the Russians. We see the Chinese building up, we see what is happening in Iran, we see what is happening in North Korea," he added.
Background:
- Earlier, The Washington Post published a secret Pentagon memo on the shift in US strategy, identifying China as the sole threat.
- On 2 April, Rutte also predicted that defence spending requirements for NATO members would increase by more than one and a half times.
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