NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte used an address at the European Parliament to underline the growing importance of cooperation between NATO and the European Union as both organisations respond to a more demanding security environment. Speaking at the Renew Global Europe Forum, Rutte focused on defence investment, industrial production and continued support for Ukraine.
He said Allies are spending more on defence and working to increase production of military equipment, while stressing that NATO and the EU can achieve more when their efforts are coordinated. According to Rutte, the two organisations have different but complementary strengths, particularly in areas such as defence production, innovation, regulation and support for Ukraine.
Rutte argued that closer cooperation can help Ukraine remain strong in the present conflict and better prepared to deter future aggression. He also said combined NATO-EU action can accelerate the production of defence capabilities and improve the speed at which new technologies are developed and adopted.
Following his keynote remarks, the Secretary General discussed current security challenges with members of the European Parliament and other participants. He encouraged policymakers to build further on the existing relationship between NATO and the EU rather than treating the institutions as competing security actors.