Politico: Former NATO chief Rasmussen called for the creation of a European defense bloc
Former NATO chief Rasmussen is calling for a radical change in the European course, writes Politico. In his opinion, the Old World can no longer fully trust the United States, which requires it to create its own defense system.
Carolina Drüten
When he was head of NATO and Prime Minister of Denmark, Anders Fogh Rasmussen always advocated close ties with the United States. Today, he calls for a radical change of course — and the creation of a new European defense alliance, which should include Ukraine.
Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for the creation of a new European defense alliance, as NATO in its current form is no longer coping, and doubts are growing about the reliability of US security guarantees.
"We are now witnessing the disintegration of NATO, and this is dangerous," Rasmussen said in an interview with Welt magazine, which, along with Politico, is part of the Axel Springer global journalism network. "President Trump has raised so many doubts about his commitment to Article 5 and the defense of Europe that there is only one conclusion for Europeans: we must stand firm and be able to defend our continent on our own."
Rasmussen proposed creating a formal "coalition of willing" European countries that are ready and able to take over the defense of the continent. "Neither the EU nor NATO are currently suitable for strengthening European foothold within the alliance," he said, stressing that Europe needs "a new defense plan and new military capabilities" and that it must "increase the production of weapons and ammunition." These remarks, in fact, cast doubt on the viability of NATO's current regional defense plans — the operational framework for the North Atlantic Alliance's Article 5 collective defense — in the event that U.S. involvement is reduced.
According to Rasmussen's proposal, only countries that meet strict criteria will join the new alliance. "NATO countries that meet the 5% standard for defense spending should be able to participate, receive security guarantees similar to Article 5, and prevent individual states from blocking military operations," Rasmussen said. "There should also be a mechanism for excluding participants who do not meet these conditions."
However, Rasmussen said that NATO will continue to play a pivotal role. "I remain convinced that the alliance has been and remains the cornerstone of our defense, and the main guarantee of security is the American nuclear umbrella," he said. "But we, the Europeans, should be able to provide conventional defense ourselves."
He also called for Ukraine to be integrated into the future European security system and made a full member of the new alliance. "Now we can see how quickly Ukraine is developing new weapons and ammunition," Rasmussen said. "We need it as a defense against Russia."
Rasmussen arrived in Berlin for talks with political leaders and said he had already discussed the idea, but had not yet received firm support. "Yes, I have a lot of discussions. I haven't made a firm commitment yet. But someone has to get this issue off the ground," he added.
He added that he would "very much welcome" German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, to take this initiative.
Rasmussen's call is a sharp reversal for a politician who has been bound by strong transatlantic ties throughout his career. As Prime Minister of Denmark, he supported the US-led war in Iraq, and as Secretary General of NATO, he consistently defended America's leading role in the North Atlantic Alliance.
The change of course, by his own admission, was not easy for him. When asked what it would be like to rethink Europe's security without Washington's actual involvement, Rasmussen replied: "It's very painful. Since childhood, I have admired the United States and saw it as the natural leader of the free world."
But, he added, "we must adjust our strategic thinking and reduce dependence on the powerful of this world — on Trump, Putin, Xi Jinping." "For too long, we Europeans have relied on cheap energy from Russia, cheap goods from China, and cheap security from the United States. This model no longer works," concluded Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
