Rutte: Europe lacks military capabilities for independent Middle East mission

European countries currently lack sufficient military capabilities to conduct operations independently in the Middle East and continue to rely on the United States for leadership, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in an interview with Bloomberg.

Rutte said that if a situation in the Middle East requires military intervention, European countries should have the ability to respond independently rather than depend on Washington.

“At the moment, the Europeans do not have the capability at a sufficient level to do it, so we still need US leadership,” he said.

Rutte attributed Europe's current capability gap in part to reduced defence spending following the end of the Cold War. He said European countries had cut military budgets excessively after the fall of the Berlin Wall, amid expectations of a lasting period of peace.

He called on NATO allies to increase defence spending and strengthen their domestic defence industries in order to build greater military capacity and reduce reliance on the United States.

Rutte also addressed security in the Red Sea, saying responsibility for maintaining freedom of navigation should not rest entirely with Washington.

He noted that European countries have advanced mine-clearing capabilities that, according to him, are superior to those of the United States and could be deployed in the region.

By Sabina Mammadli