Trump is well aware that NATO is part of U.S. defense - NATO secretary general

RIGA - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is well aware that NATO is part of the U.S. defense, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stressed at a press conference in Adazi on Thursday.

Rutte and top Latvian officials visited Adazi military base on Thursday where the first full-scale exercise of the multinational brigade in Latvia, Resolute Warrior 2024, is taking place.

At a press conference later in the afternoon, Rutte was asked what his message would be to European allies who are worried about Trump's previous statements on Article 5 of the NATO Treaty and the Alliance's responsibilities.

Rutte pointed out that he had worked with Trump for four years when he was the prime minister of Netherlands. He believes that Trump will do everything needed to defend the United States. "Look what is happening at the moment. North Korean soldiers are being active in Russia and helping Russia with the war effort against Ukraine. Russia is paying for this, for example, by missile technology which is now being delivered to North Korea. This is a direct threat not only to Europe, but also to Japan, South Korea and the U.S. mainland," Rutte emphasized.

China, through circumventing sanctions, is supplying Russia with dual-use goods that help Russia with its war effort, while Iran ships to Russia drones and other technology, which Russia pays for. This, in turn, enables Iran to continue its negative influence on the Middle East and even beyond, said Rutte.

"Russia, China, North Korea and Iran are working together. The U.S. understands that NATO is there not only to defend Europe and the U.S., but also to work together to make sure that the Indo-Pacific and the transatlantic stay safe. I look forward to working with Trump," said Rutte.

U.S. troops do not participate in the Resolute Warrior 2024 exercise. Asked if this is a proof that NATO can do without the United States, NATO secretary general stressed that the United States is an integral part of NATO. The U.S. is a founding member of NATO, and it is not a member of the Alliance just to avoid repeating past mistakes. The United States knows that NATO is integral part of their defense, our collective defense, Rutte pointed out.

"We need the U.S. The U.S. needs us. We need each other to work on this. It was Trump who, from 2016 onwards, was pushing NATO to spend more on defense. Look what is happening. Latvia moving up to north of 3.5 percent. Overall, the EU, NATO are now at 2 percent, and we need to do more," said Rutte.

President Edgars Rinkevics said that the United States was, is and will be an indispensable partner for Europe and its security, but it is clear to all that defense and security need to be boosted. Not only defense spending needs to be increased, the defense industry has to be mobilized. The Alliance, he said, must be prepared for the whole range of hybrid challenges that countries have faced, are facing or will face. Rinkevics hopes that U.S. presence in this part of Europe and elsewhere in Europe will continue.

When asked whether an invitation to join NATO is a possible element to a peace plan in Ukraine, Rutte said that it is only the Ukrainian government which can decide to start talks with Russia on how to end the war. But they have to do this from a position of strength, "and that is why we need to continue to deliver defense aid to Ukraine to make sure that they will be in that position of strength when the day comes for their decision."

Rinkevics also pointed out that it is currently unclear what the new U.S. administration's plans for Ukraine will be. He would prefer to wait for this plan and discuss these issues with the new U.S. administration. Russia is not willing to negotiate at the moment, it is stepping up military operations. The president also made two points: that a peace plan without Ukraine's participation cannot be accepted, and that Russia must also be ready to be at the negotiating table.

At the Washington Summit, NATO member countries reaffirmed that it was not a question of whether Ukraine would become a member of the Alliance, but when, said Rinkevics. In his opinion, it is about working together to achieve the best possible solution and strong security guarantees for Ukraine.

"Up until now, it has been my conviction that the only real security guarantee is NATO membership for Ukraine. Whether we can all agree on this as NATO allies, as this will have to be a unanimous decision of 32 member countries, remains to be seen, but there are countries that are ready to work to achieve this goal," said the president.

As to the main issues that NATO member countries should agree on by the Hague Summit, Rutte said that the number one priority is to make sure that Ukraine prevails and Russia does not win in Ukraine. Another big issue is that defense spending at 2 percent of GDP is simply not enough anymore. NATO members will also have to in the coming months discuss defense production, which is insufficient. More needs to be done to replenish our stockpiles to make sure that we are ready to face any adversary, said Rutte.