NATO chief dismisses tariff concerns, stresses alliance’s core mission Defence against Russia

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that the new tariffs announced by US President Donald Trump do not violate any NATO treaties, including the one that encourages economic collaboration among allies.

Rutte's comments followed a meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, where he was asked about the impact of the tariffs on NATO agreements, particularly Article 2 of the NATO treaty. Article 2 asserts that NATO members will seek to eliminate conflicts in their international economic policies and promote economic collaboration between any or all of them, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

Rutte dismissed suggestions that the tariffs violated NATO’s founding principles, citing Article 2 of the NATO treaty, which encourages economic collaboration and the resolution of international economic conflicts.

“I don’t think this is in breach of Article 2. No, I don’t think so. We have seen many examples of tariff disputes in the past without breaching Article 2," Rutte explained, urging allies to separate economic disagreements from NATO’s core focus on defence and security.

He clarified that the matter of tariffs falls outside his primary responsibilities, adding, “My role is deeply focusing on the defence of NATO territory, and that is why I’m not commenting on other things than directly related to the defence of NATO.”

Rutte also emphasized the ongoing and significant threat posed by Russia, reiterating that it remains NATO’s main focus. "We realize that there is one long-term and enduring, unpleasantly enduring threat, and that is Russia, and that is what our focus has to be about," he said.

During the same meeting, NATO allies were briefed on a “clear message” from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio regarding America’s commitment to the alliance. Rubio underscored the expectation that European countries and Canada must take on more responsibility for shared security and continue increasing their defense spending.

By Vafa Guliyeva