Brussels (TDI): NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte appeared before the European Parliament’s Conference of Presidents on Wednesday.
The session, held in Brussels and chaired by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, saw Rutte describe NATO-EU cooperation as essential to protecting the security and freedom of citizens on both sides of the Atlantic.
The visit comes with the NATO summit in Ankara just weeks away, and Rutte used the parliamentary platform to set the stage for what he hopes will be a landmark moment for transatlantic defense.
He told lawmakers that the Ankara summit will demonstrate that Allies are investing more in defense, accelerating industrial production, and sustaining their support for Ukraine.
At a meeting with the European Parliament’s Conference of Presidents, @SecGenNATO emphasised that European Allies are stepping up to strengthen our collective security to create a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO ↓ https://t.co/Df2URK9vjS
— NATO (@NATO) June 10, 2026
He stressed the need to re-energize the defense industrial base, accelerate innovation, and expand transatlantic defense cooperation; themes that have grown increasingly urgent as European nations grapple with the demands of supporting Ukraine while modernizing their own militaries.
The Secretary General framed the NATO-EU relationship not as one of rivalry or duplication, but of mutual reinforcement.
He emphasized that European Allies are stepping up to create a stronger Europe within a stronger NATO, pushing back against any notion that growing European defense ambitions might come at the Alliance’s expense.
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He also reaffirmed that NATO remains the cornerstone of European security, a formulation intended to reassure those in Washington and beyond who have grown wary of EU defense autonomy initiatives.
He welcomed the EU’s efforts to boost European defense readiness, signaling that he views the bloc’s own rearmament push as complementary rather than competitive.
The appearance before the Conference of Presidents, which brings together the leaders of the Parliament’s political groups, reflects a broader effort by NATO leadership to build democratic legitimacy for the Alliance’s evolving posture.
