New Delhi: NATO-EU defence cooperation is critical to Europe’s long-term security, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Monday.
He was addressing members of the European Parliament in Brussels. Rutte made the remarks during an exchange of views with lawmakers from the Committees on Security and Defence and Foreign Affairs, according to reports.
He stressed that closer alignment between NATO and the EU was essential to meet today’s complex security challenges, particularly amid Russia’s continued war in Ukraine. The NATO secretary general further said that effective cooperation was necessary to improve military mobility, accelerate defence industrial production, and ensure Ukraine continues to receive the support it needs to defend itself.
Highlighting the practical benefits of NATO-EU defence cooperation, Rutte called for a realistic and results-driven approach that avoids duplication and instead leverages the strengths of both organisations. While NATO provides collective defence capabilities, he said the EU plays a crucial role in regulatory frameworks, industrial capacity, and long-term investment.
The NATO chief also linked defence cooperation directly to the situation in Ukraine. He warned that Russia’s sustained attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, particularly during winter, underline the urgency of maintaining military and humanitarian assistance. Rutte noted that sustained support was not only about immediate defence but also about securing Ukraine’s future stability and prosperity.
Rutte also said that NATO Allies are already responding to evolving threats by increasing defence spending, boosting innovation, and expanding production capacity. He welcomed the EU’s initiatives to support higher defence investment, while emphasising that NATO’s non-EU Allies remain indispensable to Europe’s collective security.
He further underlined that NATO-EU defence cooperation plays a vital role in strengthening Europe’s overall resilience, whether through enhanced logistics, improved infrastructure for rapid troop movement, or a stronger and more competitive defence industry.
