Mark Rutte: The U.S., the largest ally in NATO

Mark Rutte: I would think: look at what the United States is doing, what Donald Trump is doing. They are spending almost a trillion on defense. They are by far the largest contributor to NATO. They are providing all the key resources for NATO, including here in Europe. I mean, they are an important ally. By far, they are the biggest ally in NATO. They represent more than 50% of NATO's entire economy.

But what we will do now over the coming years is reduce, step by step. Shift the burden away from the United States and more toward the Europeans and Canadians, which I think is fair, and in the meantime, we will also equalize the level of spending.

The United States is by far the largest financial contributor to NATO. It provides approximately 70% of the alliance’s total defense spending and represents more than 50% of the combined economy of NATO member countries. In addition to its direct investment, the U.S. supplies most of NATO’s key strategic resources, including bases, intelligence systems, transportation, and logistics, both in North America and Europe. This significant financial burden has been a subject of debate within the alliance, leading to discussions about the need for European allies and Canada to increase their defense spending in order to balance responsibilities within the organization.