Secretary General Rutte: "European Rearmament Supports 200,000 U.S. Defense Jobs"

Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, Interview with FT

"Europe and Canada have ordered $300 billion worth of U.S. weapons"

Calls to Expand Domestic Defense Production... Mentions Procurement of Korean Weapons

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that Europe's rearmament efforts are contributing to job creation in the U.S. defense industry. This is seen as an attempt to ease tensions, as strains between the United States and its European allies have heightened ahead of the NATO annual summit scheduled for July 7-8.

U.S. President Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held talks at the White House on the 24th of last month (local time). Photo by Reuters-Yonhap News

In an interview with the Financial Times (FT) on June 30 (local time), Secretary General Rutte said, "The order backlog for U.S.-made weapons from Europe and Canada will reach 300 billion dollars over the coming years," adding, "This supports nearly 200,000 jobs in the U.S. defense sector."

He noted that over the past two years, NATO member states have increased their defense spending by 250 billion dollars, but both the United States and Europe have reached the limits of their defense manufacturing capacity. In addition, he urged defense companies to expand production rather than raise prices.

Secretary General Rutte said, "Some key weapons can currently be sourced virtually only from the United States," but emphasized, "Capacity shortfalls are an issue for both Europe and the United States." He continued, "Additional production lines and shift work are being expanded," and called on defense companies to prioritize ramping up production rather than raising prices.

He also pointed out that due to production bottlenecks, some European countries are choosing Korean-made weapons. He explained, "European countries would originally prefer to purchase weapons from fellow NATO member states, but production cannot keep up with demand. That's why they are buying weapons from Korea. Korea has an excellent defense industrial base."

Secretary General Rutte repeatedly emphasized that Europe has been significantly increasing its defense spending even as the Trump Administration considered reducing the U.S. military presence in Europe. He said, "It is important to show the American people and the President that Europe and Canada are fulfilling their roles," adding, "If President Trump has brought this about, he deserves praise."

Regarding the war in Ukraine, he assessed that Russian forces continue to suffer around 35,000 casualties each month, and that Ukraine is imposing significant pressure on the Russian economy by striking Russian energy and military facilities. He noted, "Compared to just a few months ago, the pace of Russia's advance has noticeably slowed," but said it still remains uncertain whether Russian President Vladimir Putin will actively engage in peace negotiations.

Reflecting on his conversation with President Trump during his three-day visit to the United States starting on June 23, Rutte remarked, "It appears that there is some disappointment in the United States over cases where certain European countries have not always fulfilled bilateral agreements." Nevertheless, he emphasized, "I stressed that Europe remains a core platform for U.S. military deployments. While there have been disappointing cases, the overall assessment is highly positive."

These remarks come as President Trump has been demanding that NATO allies shoulder a greater share of defense spending. Since returning to the White House in January last year, President Trump has argued that Europe is "free-riding" on U.S. security. After some European countries denied the use of their bases and refused to send troops to the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war, President Trump reacted with fury and even raised the possibility of withdrawing from NATO.

Meanwhile, according to Euronews and other sources, European allies and Canada are expected to pledge increased defense spending and a significant boost to weapons production capacity at the NATO summit. As the United States recently notified Europe of plans to reduce the provision of certain military capabilities in contingency situations, how Europe will fill these security gaps is expected to be a key agenda item.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.