NATO Chief Says U.S. Cuts Do Not Signal Withdrawal from Allies

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said that the United States is not turning away from its allies despite reducing some of its military contributions, pushing back against concerns that Washington may be stepping back from its commitments to the alliance. Rutte stated that the U.S. expects NATO member states to rapidly increase the number of manned aircraft, drones, and ships they contribute to the alliance's collective defense plans. The remarks come amid growing unease among European NATO members about the reliability of American security guarantees under President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly pressured European allies to take on greater responsibility for their own defense. NATO, the transatlantic military alliance of 32 member states, has been urging members to meet or exceed the target of spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense — a benchmark many European countries have historically fallen short of. Rutte's comments signal that Washington's scaling back of certain assets is intended to spur greater European burden-sharing rather than represent a strategic retreat from the continent.