NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has stated that if European countries believe they can defend themselves without the United States, they should "keep on dreaming." In a statement made during a hearing at the European Parliament, Stoltenberg emphasized that NATO's defense spending would need to increase significantly in order for Europe to be able to defend itself.
According to him, this would involve an enormous amount of investment – billions and billions of euros – as well as the purchase of nuclear capabilities. He stressed the importance of the US-NATO relationship, saying that Europe needs the US just like the US needs NATO. This sentiment was also echoed by Stoltenberg in relation to Afghanistan, where he acknowledged that while President Trump's tone had changed since last week, the US still appreciates all efforts made by other countries in their fight against terrorism.
Regarding Ukraine, Stoltenberg noted that recent comments from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicate that a deal on security guarantees is close to being reached. However, this progress has come with its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to Russia's territorial claims and the ongoing threat posed by Russian aggression in Ukraine.
As for Greenland, Stoltenberg explained that his team had engaged in two separate work streams – one focusing on NATO's collective security efforts in the Arctic, while another looked into Danish-Greenlandic-US relations. He pointed out that the US has an interest in maintaining its presence in Greenland due to strategic military locations and resources.
Stoltenberg was also asked about Russia's claims regarding the threat of Western troops entering Ukraine. He responded by reiterating his warning that any Western involvement would be met with legitimate strikes from Russia, stating that "we all know" that Ukraine's security is tied closely to Europe's own.
While acknowledging concerns over defense spending and the need for greater cooperation between member states, Stoltenberg maintained that NATO remains committed to its long-standing goal of collective defense. He also expressed support for regional initiatives aimed at strengthening security partnerships across the continent.
According to him, this would involve an enormous amount of investment – billions and billions of euros – as well as the purchase of nuclear capabilities. He stressed the importance of the US-NATO relationship, saying that Europe needs the US just like the US needs NATO. This sentiment was also echoed by Stoltenberg in relation to Afghanistan, where he acknowledged that while President Trump's tone had changed since last week, the US still appreciates all efforts made by other countries in their fight against terrorism.
Regarding Ukraine, Stoltenberg noted that recent comments from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicate that a deal on security guarantees is close to being reached. However, this progress has come with its own set of challenges, particularly when it comes to Russia's territorial claims and the ongoing threat posed by Russian aggression in Ukraine.
As for Greenland, Stoltenberg explained that his team had engaged in two separate work streams – one focusing on NATO's collective security efforts in the Arctic, while another looked into Danish-Greenlandic-US relations. He pointed out that the US has an interest in maintaining its presence in Greenland due to strategic military locations and resources.
Stoltenberg was also asked about Russia's claims regarding the threat of Western troops entering Ukraine. He responded by reiterating his warning that any Western involvement would be met with legitimate strikes from Russia, stating that "we all know" that Ukraine's security is tied closely to Europe's own.
While acknowledging concerns over defense spending and the need for greater cooperation between member states, Stoltenberg maintained that NATO remains committed to its long-standing goal of collective defense. He also expressed support for regional initiatives aimed at strengthening security partnerships across the continent.
they need us like we need them tbh 
billions and billions of euros?? who's got that kinda cash? 
but for real tho, increasing defense spending is a must if europe wanna defend itself. nato's all about collective defense so lets not forget that 
any western involvement in ukraine wouldnt be taken lightly by russia, they'd strike back hard 
thats why cooperation between member states is key 
! Like, billions and billions of euros are needed to upgrade their military and protect themselves, no joke 
. Stoltenberg is trying to tell them that they need the US' support, and that Europe needs NATO more than ever 
. The Arctic thing with Greenland is also super interesting... like what's the deal with that 
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. stoltenberg's saying it's not feasible for them to do it alone, which makes sense considering how expensive and complicated military operations are. but at the same time, he's acknowledging that europe needs to take more ownership of its own security, which is a good thing.
. maybe it's just a strategic move, but i'm also thinking about what this means for indigenous communities living in the arctic 
but at the same time i get it, nato's been around for ages and we do rely on them. but billions of euros isn't a lot to you americans, right? 
this guy stoltenberg is just saying what every american wants to hear, like europe needs them more than they need us 
. I'm not sure if Europe could really defend itself without the US, it just seems like too much of an investment 
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And Stoltenberg just casually mentions that Russia would legit strike back if Western troops enter Ukraine... like, no kidding. That's what happens when you play with fire. 
. Still, I kinda get what Stoltenberg is saying - like, Europe needs the US, and the US needs NATO... it's all about that mutual support thing 
. Anyways, I hope they can make some progress with Ukraine and get those security guarantees sorted out ASAP 
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oh man i cant even believe what these europes leaders are saying these days like "keep on dreaming" is so dismissive and hurtful theyre literally implying that europe has to be held hostage by us forever its like a never ending cycle of dependency and its not fair to the rest of the world 
nato needs 2 b more transparent abt its spending & goals, or else ppl cn't take it serious. also, stoltenberg's comments bout russia bein a threat 2 ukraine is low-key worrying 
not to mention afghanistan, stoltenberg's just trying 2 keep the usa involved 
also gotta say, russia's aggression is getting outta hand & we should be supporting ukraine more not just talking about security guarantees 
. Jens Stoltenberg's statement is spot on – if they wanna ditch the US, they're gonna have to put in some serious cash 
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. I think we should focus on building those regional security partnerships instead of getting bogged down in defense spending debates. NATO's got this – they've been around for decades and have seen some tough stuff