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Any assumptions that NATO can exist without the United States do not work for many reasons.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated this during a joint press conference with UK Prime minister Keir Starmer in Brussels, Ukrinform reported.
“The assumptions that you can run NATO without the U.S. is for so many reasons a silly thought,” Rutte said. He further highlighted the geopolitical significance of the situation in Ukraine, noting that it is not merely a bilateral issue between Ukraine and Russia but a broader geopolitical matter involving countries like China, North Korea, and Iran, all of which are connected to Russia.
“So this is a geopolitical thing playing out at the moment. And therefor Ukraine must prevail not only for Ukraine’s sake first of all but also because of the geopolitical impact and for NATO as a whole,” Rutte stressed.
He also pointed out that NATO’s collective potential is twenty times greater than Russia’s economy, enabling the Alliance to defend its collective territory, including that of the United States.
“The U.S. is also under threat now with long-range missiles coming out of North Korea in the future thanks to all the technologies the Russians are delivering. So for so many reasons, we have to stay connected. I am a strong Euro-Atlanticist. I absolutely believe that the best thing the West can do is to stay united and I know that the same thinking is still prevalent in the U.S. including in the White House,” Rutte concluded.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in his turn emphasized the importance of developing security and defense cooperation with both the U.S. and the European Union, rather than choosing between them.
He stated: “If you look at our vital interests, it is really important that we work with both. On defense and security, we are working very closely with our European allies every day, particularly in Ukraine, but not only in Ukraine. Equally, we work on defense and security with the U. S. in the special relationship. And of course the intelligence capability that we have developed together – that is vitally important and is in the best interests of the UK, but also in the best interests in terms of global security and defense, and we continue to work both with the U.S. and with Europe on these vital issues,” the UK Prime Minister emphasized.
As reported, during the 2024 Washington summit, NATO allies confirmed the irreversibility of Ukraine’s path to NATO membership and agreed to provide Ukraine with a comprehensive package of support for immediate military assistance, as well as for implementing reforms in the security and defense sector to align with NATO standards.
Representatives of the new U.S. administration, which is considering ways to end the Russian war in Ukraine, have expressed doubts about the decision to offer Ukraine the prospect of NATO membership, as well as the need for “both sides” to make compromises in a hypothetical peace settlement process.
Additionally, the Russian side continues to emphasize that it considers Ukraine’s NATO membership unacceptable, while NATO allies argue that the Kremlin has no right to a say in this matter.
The goal of joining the Alliance is enshrined in Ukraine’s Constitution, and NATO membership is seen by Ukraine’s political leadership as the “cheapest” and quickest way to provide security guarantees to Ukraine and deter Russia from further aggression in the future.
