Headlines
NATO will become more European-led, NATO Chief Rutte says
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 13, 2026
1 min readLast updated: February 13, 2026
Tags:collaboration
Quick Summary
NATO will shift towards European leadership with increased military spending by allies, while maintaining strong US ties, according to Chief Rutte.
NATO to Shift Towards Greater European Leadership, Says Chief Rutte
NATO's Shift Towards European Leadership
MUNICH, Feb 13 (Reuters) - The NATO alliance will become more European-led, with a continuing strong presence of the United States, as European allies significantly increase military spending, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Friday.
Increased Military Spending by European Allies
"Over the coming years we will more and more sea a NATO that is more European-led, but at the same time with the US absolutely anchored in the organization," Rutte told reporters on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference.
Collaboration with the United States
"We will do this step by step, in close conjunction with the United States, based on the defense planning process we have."
(Reporting by Andrew Gray, writing by Bart Meijer, editing by Charlotte Van Campenhout)
Key Takeaways
- •NATO will become more European-led.
- •European allies are increasing military spending.
- •The US will remain a strong presence in NATO.
- •Changes will occur in collaboration with the US.
- •The shift was discussed at the Munich Security Conference.
Frequently Asked Questions about NATO will become more European-led, NATO Chief Rutte says
1What is NATO?
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance established in 1949 for mutual defense against aggression.
2What is defense planning?
Defense planning is the process of preparing military strategies and resource allocations to ensure national security.
