play

NATO chief Mark Rutte says U.S. must remain a strong partner in the allianceRutte spoke with The Dispatch following NATO’s assembly in DaytonRutte defends Trump’s call for allies to boost defense spending

DAYTON – NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stressed the importance of the United States’ role in the 76-year-old military alliance, in an exclusive interview with The Columbus Dispatch.

Rutte, who sat down with The Dispatch on the last day of the Dayton NATO Parliamentary Assembly on May 26, said the assembly achieved its goals to present a united front, discuss increasing defense spending for the alliance and signal strong support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.

This is the first time in over 20 years that a NATO parliamentary assembly has been held in the U.S., and the decision to host it in Dayton was intentional. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords at the Wright Patterson Air Force Base, which ended the Bosnian War in 1995 – the bloodiest war Europe had seen since World War II, which lasted 3½ years.

NATO creates safety, security for U.S.

The Russia-Ukraine war is swiftly approaching the 3½-year mark itself. Despite tensions between U.S. President Donald Trump and other countries’ leaders, Rutte commended Trump’s direct engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that due to the power of the U.S., he was likely the only one who could “break the deadlock.”

“We have to make sure that … Putin will never try this again,” said Rutte, who became NATO’s chief in October, after serving as prime minister of the Netherlands for 14 years.

That power is one of the reasons the U.S. it vital to NATO, but NATO is also vital to the U.S., Rutte said. In the end, for the U.S. to stay safe, it needs a secure Atlantic and Pacific, as tensions escalate with Russia, North Korea and especially China, he said. A secure Europe, whose countries make up nearly all of NATO, helps that happen.

In his previous term, Trump openly considered leaving NATO if Europe and Canada did not increase their defense spending in the alliance, and has cast similar doubts in his current term.

Rutte called Trump’s arguments “only fair.” After speaking with Trump in March, Rutte said he believes Trump recognizes that Europe is boosting its commitment after the European Union announced a roughly 800 billion euro plan for defense spending.

“We are stepping up now on the European and Canadian side of NATO, so I think that will be delivered,” he said.

While addressing the assembly May 26, Rutte said he assumes that the alliance will agree to a 5% defense spending target of gross domestic product when NATO meets again in June. Trump is expected to attend that session.

A message to Ukrainians

In the Dispatch interview, Rutte emphasized that NATO is with Ukraine, echoing one of the main messages coming out of the Dayton assembly.

“We want to bring this war to a point where at least Ukraine, going forward, is a sovereign nation able to defend itself against new Russian attacks, and that’s why we all agree, including the United States, that it has to have a durability and long-lastingness when it comes to a peace deal/ceasefire,” Rutte said.

“And all my respect to the Ukrainians who are fighting,” he added.

Thoughts on Dayton and visiting protesters

While the protests outside of the NATO Village in Dayton have not escalated to violence like those in Montreal at NATO’s fall parliamentary assembly, the protests, made up primarily of anti-war protesters and those protesting the war in Gaza, continued through the weekend.

Rutte said that NATO as an organization is not involved in the war in Gaza, but it’s a crisis that “individual allies” are navigating.

“Of course, when it comes to protests, generally, that’s part of our lively democracy” — as long as laws are followed and the protests are done peacefully, Rutte said.

Rutte also had favorable comments about Dayton and Ohio.

“There’s a lot of industriousness and development,” Rutte said, touching on the area’s rich history of aviation and innovation.

“I was really impressed,” he said.

Medical business and health care reporter Samantha Hendrickson can be reached at shendrickson@dispatch.com