BRUSSELS — NATO chief Mark Rutte on Thursday said he was “confident” allies would find a way to restart traffic through the Strait of Hormuz blocked by Iran after it was attacked by the U.S. and Israel. “Allies … are intensely discussing amongst each other [and] with the United States … the best way forward to tackle this huge security issue,” Rutte told reporters in Brussels. “I’m confident that allies as always will do everything in support of our shared interest as we always do — so we will find a way forward.” The U.S. president has called on European partners to help secure the trade artery — a request most have flatly rejected. As a result, Donald Trump has slammed NATO allies, warning he could reconsider the U.S. role in the alliance, even while some members like Estonia have volunteered equipment. On Tuesday, the U.S. president claimed he no longer needed European support for the operation. Rutte, who has previously come under fire for claiming Trump’s war has “widespread support” among allies, on Thursday again praised the U.S. for weakening Iran’s military, including its ballistic missile and potential nuclear capabilities. “What the U.S. is doing at the moment is degrading that capability of Iran and I think that’s very important,” he said. “This is important for European security, for the Middle East, it is vital for Israel itself.”

BRUSSELS — Mark Rutte’s tried-and-tested approach to dealing with Donald Trump is coming under strain as the U.S. president’s war in Iran opens up fresh fault lines inside NATO. On Tuesday, Trump branded NATO allies “very foolish” for snubbing his demands for military support in securing the critical Strait of Hormuz trade artery. As a result, reconsidering the U.S. role in the alliance was “certainly something we should think about,” he warned. In response, NATO’s secretary-general is reaching for his usual Trump playbook: Avoid criticizing the president in public and work behind the scenes for a solution. “He’s calculating there’s little to gain by now speaking up,” said one NATO diplomat, who like others in this story was granted anonymity to speak freely. “I don’t see how he could please [Trump’s] desire. So better to lay low — publicly at least.” But the war is putting Rutte in a bind. Despite Trump’s demands, NATO has few powers to act in Iran, while allies’ distaste for the war makes it hard to find needed consensus for any alliance involvement. Yet the longer the conflict drags on, the more it saps resources from the alliance’s core tasks of supporting Ukraine and preparing for a potential war with Russia. “It’s very clear that whatever is being used in the Middle East right now, in particular air defense systems, will most likely have to be replaced,” said Pieter Wezeman, a senior arms researcher at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute think tank. “All that comes on top of the already very high demand for arms in Europe.” NATO declined to comment on the record. MAKING A MARK Until now, Rutte has succeeded in keeping Trump from blowing up the alliance by handing the U.S. president wins in key areas like getting allies to boost defense spending and finding an off ramp that allowed Trump to drop his campaign to annex Greenland. “When there are debates between allies, I always try to stay a bit muted, and therefore being able, if necessary, to help a bit,” Rutte said last week, referencing feuding between Trump and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez over Madrid’s refusal to allow U.S. planes to use its airfield to attack Iran, and Trump’s wrath at low Spanish defense spending. While the alliance hasn’t collapsed, Rutte has come under fire for being obsequious toward Trump and for siding with him against other allies. “In the European Parliament … we have openly questioned whether we were hearing the representative of NATO or the representative of the United States,” said Lucia Yar, a liberal Slovak lawmaker on the Parliament’s defense committee. “I hope that Mr Rutte will continue to engage regularly with both sides of the Atlantic.” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has sparked a feud with President Donald Trump over his refusal to allow U.S. planes to attack Iran from his country, with Rutte during the NATO Summit in The Hague on June 25, 2025. | Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images He’s trying the same play during the Iran crisis. In one of his first comments, Rutte claimed there was “widespread support” among the alliance’s members for the U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran — a claim that drew a fierce rebuke from Spain. After days of lying low, Rutte was faced with a direct question on Wednesday about Trump’s threat of a “very bad future” for NATO over the reluctance of allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The former Dutch prime minister didn’t take the bait, instead pointing to talks happening behind the scenes. “What I know is that allies are working together discussing how to [reopen the strait],” he said. “Rutte’s job is to keep NATO together, and it’s hard to see how a rhetorical battle with Trump can help him do that,” said Oana Lungescu, a former NATO spokesperson who now works as a senior research fellow at London’s Royal United Services Institute think tank. OUT OF AREA Yet there are limits to how much Rutte can do to assuage Trump over Iran. That’s partly down to a lack of consensus among allies on the war — with many having slammed the conflict that was initiated without consulting them. While NATO has shot down Iranian missiles directed at Turkey, the U.S. cannot convince allies to join on the basis that its own territory is under threat, said a second alliance diplomat. The alliance’s mutual defense clause, “Article 5, applies in the case of an armed attack against an ally, so it’s not directly relevant to situations like this,” the diplomat said. The Middle East lies outside the alliance’s military “area of responsibility,” according to two other alliance diplomats, further complicating a collective response. Finally, Washington has not made any formal demands of NATO. At a closed-door meeting of ambassadors on Tuesday, the U.S. repeated its pleas for allies to help, but did not make any specific requests to the alliance, the two diplomats said. Yet with the war already in its third week, doing nothing comes with its own risks for NATO. Washington has already withdrawn equipment, including F-35 fighter jets, from a NATO exercise in Norway, while the U.K. has diverted its HMS Dragon destroyer away from activities linked to the alliance’s new Arctic mission to the eastern Mediterranean. HMS Dragon, which the U.K. diverted from an Arctic mission, sets sail from Portsmouth Harbour on March 10, 2026 for its deployment to Cyprus. | Leon Neal/Getty Images Defending against Iranian drone and missile counter-attacks has also forced European countries to burn through air defense missiles, depleting stockpiles and hampering NATO’s aim to bolster air defenses, said Wezeman, the analyst. France has already warned its stockpile of air-to-air MICA missiles is running low. It may be only a “matter of weeks” until European countries are forced to decide whether to earmark future deliveries of air defense systems for their Gulf allies or Ukraine, he said.  “Over a longer period of time, it will put a dent in the planning for how to build up the European defences,” he said. “And it has an immediate effect on the capacity of Ukraine to defend itself.” “We’re not starting from a place of surplus … we’re going to get stretched even more thin,” the third NATO diplomat acknowledged.

BRUSSELS — NATO chief Mark Rutte on Wednesday declined to address Donald Trump’s latest warning he could reconsider the U.S. role in the alliance after berating allies for not backing his war in Iran. The U.S. president on Tuesday branded NATO countries “very foolish” for snubbing his demands for military support in securing the critical Strait of Hormuz trade artery. As a result, rethinking the U.S. role in the alliance it founded was “certainly something we should think about,” he said. But asked about the latest broadside, Rutte demurred. “When it comes to the Strait of Hormuz, I have been in contact with many allies. We all agree, of course, the strait has to open up again,” he said. “What I know is that allies are working together discussing how to do that,” he told reporters during a visit to a NATO military exercise in Norway. “What is the best way to do it? They are working on that collectively to find a way forward.” The remarks underscore the high-wire act facing Rutte as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran drags into its third week. The secretary-general wants to placate Trump — a longtime NATO skeptic — while avoiding a full embrace of a war which is out-of-area for NATO and has been widely criticized by other allies. Yet the latest comments also mark a change in tack from Rutte, after countries like Spain hit out at the alliance boss for his claim earlier this month that the war enjoyed “widespread support” from NATO allies. The former Dutch prime minister on Wednesday avoided praising the war effort, and did not allude to European support for the conflict. The U.S. has so far not issued specific requests for help from NATO, but individual allies like Estonia have offered to send equipment and vessels to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open after Iran effectively shut off shipping in the chokepoint through which around a fifth of the world’s oil passes.

Listen on * Spotify * Apple Music * Amazon Music European affairs ministers meet in Brussels to prepare this week’s EU summit — with discussions ranging from Ukraine and the war in Iran to the bloc’s next long-term budget and competitiveness. But there is also motion on enlargement. Ukraine and Moldova are receiving the remaining negotiating clusters in their EU accession talks, while Montenegro is set to provisionally close another chapter. Meanwhile the war with Iran is already testing transatlantic unity. After Donald Trump urged allies to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, EU foreign ministers made clear they have no intention of sending warships there, with several capitals warning they won’t be dragged into the war. And in the world of sport and geopolitics, EU Sports Commissioner Glenn Micallef is pressing FIFA President Gianni Infantino for clearer assurances that European fans travelling to the 2026 World Cup will be safe — as tensions rise following the U.S.-Israeli war in the Middle East. Host Zoya Sheftalovich is joined by POLITICO’s chief foreign affairs correspondent, Nick Vinocur. Send any questions or comments to us on our WhatsApp: +32 491 05 06 29. 

Listen on * Spotify * Apple Music * Amazon Music Zwei Wochen nach Beginn der US-Invasion im Iran treten die massiven globalen Nebenwirkungen zutage. Während Donald Trump durch die Lockerung der Sanktionen gegen russisches Öl die Ukraine-Front schwächt, entstehen im Nahen Osten völlig neue Zweckbündnisse. Gordon Repinski analysiert gemeinsam mit der Strategie-Expertin Florence Gaub (NATO Defense College), warum die USA derzeit eher operationell getrieben als strategisch klug handeln und welche langfristigen Dominoeffekte dieser Einsatz für die europäische Sicherheitsarchitektur hat. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es jeden Morgen ab 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team liefern Politik zum Hören – kompakt, international, hintergründig. Für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Der Berlin Playbook-Newsletter bietet jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. ⁠Jetzt kostenlos abonnieren.⁠ Mehr von Host und POLITICO Executive Editor Gordon Repinski: Instagram: ⁠@gordon.repinski⁠ | X: ⁠@GordonRepinski⁠. POLITICO Deutschland – ein Angebot der Axel Springer Deutschland GmbH Axel-Springer-Straße 65, 10888 Berlin Tel: +49 (30) 2591 0 ⁠information@axelspringer.de⁠ Sitz: Amtsgericht Berlin-Charlottenburg, HRB 196159 B USt-IdNr: DE 214 852 390 Geschäftsführer: Carolin Hulshoff Pol, Mathias Sanchez Luna

Washington has harshly criticized the Czech Republic for not spending enough on defense after Czech lawmakers passed a budget for 2026 that allocates only 1.7 percent of GDP to military expenditures. “All allies must bear their share of responsibility and uphold The Hague commitment on defense,” the U.S. embassy in Prague posted on X Thursday. “These numbers are not arbitrary. It is about responding to the current situation — and that situation requires 5 percent to be the standard. No excuses, no exceptions.” NATO allies agreed a new defense spending target at last year’s alliance summit in The Hague. The new goal was set at 3.5 percent of GDP for purely military expenditures and 1.5 percent for related outlays such as on cybersecurity. The 1.7 percent figure for 2026 places Prague among NATO’s lowest defense spenders. Nationalist-populist Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš may have built a reputation as the “Czech Donald Trump,” but that isn’t shielding him from Washington’s wrath. U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker added a stern message on X, reminding Prague that “all Allies must pull their weight.” Czech President Petr Pavel, a retired army general and former top NATO official, also criticized the overall cuts in the 2026 budget. But while he has been at odds with Babiš over defense policy, he has pledged not to veto the budget proposal. Spain also refused last summer to endorse NATO’s new 5-percent-of-GDP defense spending goal, but on the other hand has pledged to meet the alliance’s so-called capability targets, which define the amount of military equipment each country needs to have.

Helsinki is set to ease its ban on nuclear weapons, allowing the import, transport and storage of the devastating armaments on Finnish territory, Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said Thursday. Häkkänen told a press conference that the country’s legislative ban on nukes, dating back to 1980, was no longer relevant in the current geopolitical context. “The legislation does not meet the needs that Finland has as a NATO member,” Häkkänen said, according to regional media. Finland became a NATO member following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The country shares more than 1,000 kilometers of border with Russia, and has been accelerating and revamping its defense plans.  Häkkänen said nuclear weapons would be allowed to be transported onto Finnish territory if national defense needs required it, Finnish media reported. The minister declined to provide specific scenarios, but ruled out the possible deployment of nuclear warheads on Finnish soil. Finland is a signatory to the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Within Europe, France and the United Kingdom possess their own nuclear weapons, while the United States stores nuclear warheads in several NATO countries including Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy and Turkey. French President Emmanuel Macron recently announced plans to increase his country’s nuclear arsenal and to cooperate more closely with European partners, including the potential temporary deployment of French nuclear-capable fighters abroad.

BRUSSELS — Europe is turning a blind eye to democratic backsliding in Turkey because it needs the country’s military and economic weight, said Istanbul’s acting mayor, Nuri Aslan, in an exclusive interview. Aslan was in Brussels to accept the European Committee of the Regions’ Mayor Paweł Adamowicz Award on behalf of jailed city leader Ekrem İmamoğlu, who had been awarded the prize for his efforts in defending local democracy. Highlighting that the honor contrasted sharply with what he described as Europe’s muted response to the detention of opposition politicians in Turkey, Aslan said: “You know the global situation. Turkey’s armed forces and defense capacity are very strong, and Europe currently has a security gap. Because of that, Europe doesn’t want to confront Turkey strongly on democratic and legal issues.” Aslan’s comments emphasize the delicate balance shaping the relationship between Brussels and Ankara, particularly as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have increased Turkey’s strategic importance for NATO and European security. “Those governments that constantly speak about democracy and the rule of law unfortunately did not stand firmly enough on the side of democracy because of their own short-term interests,” the acting mayor said. Adding that 16 mayors from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) are currently imprisoned, including İmamoğlu, Aslan noted: “You cannot arrest all mayors or all politicians. If, in a society, something is considered right when you do it but wrong when someone else does it, there will be no trust or stability — and that damages the economy.” Still, he struck an optimistic tone about Turkey’s political trajectory. “I see this as something temporary — like an illness, like having the flu,” he said. “The Turkish state and its administrators will quickly correct these unlawful processes and bring them back within the framework of law.” Aslan also argued that the legal cases against the Istanbul mayor are politically motivated. “The government is trying to stop such a successful politician through judicial processes directed both at him and at our party,” he said. İmamoğlu has become Erdoğan’s most prominent political challenger, and is widely seen as a potential presidential contender. “These arrests are definitely contrary to the conditions of a democratic, secular state governed by law,” the acting mayor explained. Despite criticizing Europe’s response, however, Aslan insisted that Turkey’s future remains firmly tied to the continent. “Turkish society and the Republic of Turkey are oriented toward Europe,” he said. Formal EU accession negotiations with Turkey have been effectively frozen for years amid concerns about democratic backsliding and rule of law. But, Aslan noted, a future CHP-led government would move rapidly to restart the talks. “If we come to power, we will move quickly toward EU membership. Within one or two years talks would accelerate, and maybe within three years we could join the EU,” he said.

Norway is willing to start talks with Paris on how French nuclear weapons can contribute to the continent’s security, Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said on Tuesday. “We are ready to discuss this within the framework of a partnership agreement with France. But our nuclear policy remains firm. We will not have nuclear weapons on Norwegian soil in peacetime,” he told the Norwegian parliament . Oslo’s willingness to start talks is yet another example of how European countries are shifting their security strategies in the wake of Russia’s attack on Ukraine and worries about relying on the U.S. following Donald Trump’s reelection. The statement comes after French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday that Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, the Netherlands, Belgium and Greece agreed to engage with France on the country’s nuclear deterrent. Macron said France will set up “exchange bodies at the political level” in the coming days with the seven nations. Cooperation will include allowing European allies into French “strategic locations,” joint exercises and, ultimately, potentially deploying French nuclear-capable Rafale fighter jets in other countries on a temporary basis. Eide said nuclear talks would be part of negotiations on a strategic defense agreement with France. He said Norway — one of Europe’s most U.S.-friendly countries — would also cooperate more closely with other countries, including the U.K., Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. “This is part of our hedging strategy,” he said.

The U.S. pulled its warplanes from Spanish bases after Madrid prohibited their use against Iran, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said today. Missions involving the bases must “operate within the framework of international law,” the minister said during a press conference at the Armilla Air Base, adding that military installations on Spanish territory would be prohibited from “providing support except if it is necessary from a humanitarian perspective.” Flight tracking website FlightRadar24 recorded over a dozen U.S. aircraft — among them, several Boeing KC-135 aerial refueling tankers — leaving the Morón de la Frontera and Rota airbases this weekend, with seven deploying to Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Robles said the U.S. had “likely made those moves because they knew the aircraft could not operate” from Spain. A 1953 agreement with the U.S. gives Madrid a say over how American forces stationed on its territory are used. Robles said that the bases had not participated in last Saturday’s attack on Iran and would not be used for “maintenance and support operations.” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is the main EU leader condemning Washington’s attack on Iran, which he described as a “violation of international law.” Robles said that Madrid’s policy on the use of Spanish bases did not reflect any support for the Islamist regime in Tehran, which she characterized as “terrible and dictatorial.” But, she added, “the solution can never be the use of violence.”