11 March 2026 09:38 UTC · NATO · NATO News · Source · Email X Link

NATO says Rutte welcomes increased European defence investment

Key points

Welcomes European nations' greater defence responsibility and rising investment
Urges EU and NATO to fully utilise strengths and deepen partnership

TL;DR

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised European nations' increased defence responsibility and investment, urged full use of EU and NATO strengths, and highlighted non-EU Allies' contribution amid growing, complex threats.

Original text

Create an account Reset password Already have an account? Log in From now on you can download videos from our website If you would also like to subscribe to the newsletter and receive our latest updates, click on the button below. Enter the email address you registered with and we will send you a code to reset your password. The password must be at least 12 characters long, no spaces, include upper/lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Click the button to return to the page you were on and log in with your new password. 11 March 2026 1 MIN READ On Monday 9 March, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte took part in a panel discussion in Brussels, together with EU leaders, as part of the annual EU Ambassadors’ Conference. Mr Rutte appeared alongside Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Andrius Kubilis, the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, with the conversation introduced by Genevieve Tuts, the EU Ambassador to Canada. In his remarks the Secretary General welcomed the initiative shown by European nations in taking greater responsibility for their defence and stepping up to meet growing security challenges. He welcomed rising defence investment and defence production and underlined their role in ensuring Euro-Atlantic security. He urged both the EU and NATO to fully utilise their strengths, noting the essential contribution made by non-EU Allies to European and transatlantic security. In recognition that threats are increasing – not only in scale but in complexity and reach - Mr Rutte praised the deepening partnership between both organisations. Link was copied to clipboard

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