Netherlands pledges NATO backbone as Europe reevaluates US security reliance

Dutch coalition led by Rob Jetten vows to keep NATO at the core of security while pressing Europe to bolster its own defenses; Foreign Minister David van Weel says Europe must acknowledge reliance on the U.S. but aim to reduce it, as Trump’s rhetoric strains transatlantic trust. The Netherlands commits to meeting NATO’s 5% of GDP defense-spending target and pursuing force expansion toward 100,000 by 2030, with the idea of a European Security Council under discussion to deepen EU defense autonomy amid ongoing Ukraine peace efforts.