Nato secretary general Mark Rutte has refused to criticise Pete Hegseth in the wake of the US defence secretary lashing out at partners in the alliance.
Mr Rutte was pushed to address Mr Hegseth’s comments on Nato being a “paper tiger” and on his suggestion that the US could pay less, if other allies don’t meet their targets.
He avoided criticising Mr Hegseth in his response, instead saying: “I’m not going to comment on every word every ally is saying; I never do that.”
Mr Rutte also said that member nations “are working very hard” to meet targets. He said that the Nato spending increases pledged by member states are “historic,” but there are still some that are “holding back a little bit”.
He added that Mr Hegseth is right to “keep the pressure on.”
During the meeting Mr Hegseth announced a six-month Pentagon review of American forces in Europe that will depend on how fast European nations take responsibility for their own security.
“This will be a real review. It will be designed to ensure that Nato is moving fast and irreversibly toward Europe leading, stepping up to take primary responsibility for the defence of Europe,” he told his counterparts.
Mr Hegseth also blasted European allies for failing to provide US forces access to bases on the continent from where to launch strikes on Iran.
“These allies, they put America’s sons and daughters, our sons and daughters, at risk by denying them the predictable access, basing and overflight that never should have been in question at all,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday, Mr Hegseth said that America’s allies in Europe must take the lead on the defence of their own continent and help turn Nato into “a read hard-line military alliance.” He said he wants to reboot the organisation into Nato 3.0, capable of deterring any threat.
“Instead of tanks and fighters and air defences, the focus has been on gender equity and climate change and defence austerity. Europe’s borders flew wide open, welfare states expanded, defence budgets cratered. Along with Europe’s belief in itself and its civilisation,” Mr Hegseth said.
Mr Rutte spoke of how Nato is undergoing a ”massive transformation, probably the biggest transfomation in its history. Obviously that means also there are some rough waters, it is a rocky phase. You will have these debates, these discussions, and that’s good.”
He acknowledged the US decision to review its troops presence and said there is a “broad agreement” among allies to “step up as the US adjusts its pledges to the Nato Force Model.”
The Nato chief also said the US “expressed strong commitment to Nato very clear today,” while also expressing the need to achieve “a more equitable distribution of labour” in the alliance.
Mr Rutte was challenged on this claim of commitment, as Mr Hegseth left the meeting early. He replied that he was there for nearly two hours, and listened to contributions from “many allies”.
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