NATO allies reached a deal last summer on setting a new defense spending target of 5 percent of GDP by 2035.Gian Ehrenzeller/EPA

NATO’s Rutte says Europe should actually ‘be happy’ Trump’s in charge – POLITICO

21 Jan 2026, 12:32 by Ketrin Jochecová · POLITICO

It's a good thing Donald Trump was reelected as U.S. president as NATO allies wouldn't have boosted defense spending without him, the military alliance's Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Wednesday.

Rutte's remarks in Davos come as Trump steps up his threats to seize Greenland from Denmark, in a move that would undermine the decades-long transatlantic alliance — perhaps fatally.

"I'm not popular with you now because I'm defending Donald Trump, but I really believe you can be happy that he is there because he has forced us in Europe to step up, to face the consequences that we have to take care of more of our own defense," Rutte said at a panel discussion titled "Can Europe defend itself?" at the World Economic Forum.