Rutte moves Trump that allies are accelerating defense spending and ready to help Ukraine more

The NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte, has transferred this Thursday to the president of the United States, Donald Trump, that European allies are accelerating the expense in defense and ready to reinforce the aid to Ukraine, in the midst of Washington’s demands so that Europeans take over security in the continent.

“The United States and NATO are strengthening. NATO allies are moving quickly to invest more in defense. Great increases have been announced, which others will follow,” said Routte after maintaining telephone contact with the US leader.

Likewise, the former Dutch Prime Minister has indicated that the allies prepare “billions more to help and contributions to security guarantees” for Ukraine in full debate on a peace agreement that should be monitored by European forces in the field.

The call arrives in full debate within NATO on raising the departure in defense and the new spending commitment that the allied leaders will agree on the Summit of The Hague at the end of June. To the political urgency that Trump prints with his demand to spend 5% in defense, the NATO internal evaluation exercise is added to renew the objectives of military capacities that the allies must meet and that is required by the security situation in Europe for the threat represented by Moscow.

Rutte has stressed that the new commitment is reached “sooner rather than later” and a “credible calendar” is set so that it does not happen as in 2014 when the allies promised to spend 2% but then the investment was not accelerated until after a few years. “That is simply unacceptable. And not because only President Trump asks us, but because we have to defend ourselves,” said the NATO political chief at the beginning of the month.