Mark Rutte addresses NATO security challenges at the Global Europe Forum

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte addressed the Renew Europe Global Europe Forum 2026 at the European Parliament on Tuesday (13 January), underscoring enduring security challenges.

Rutte reiterated that Russia remains NATO’s most significant threat, citing continuous military production, cyber activity and cooperation with China, Iran and North Korea. He called for increased European defence responsibility and a trajectory towards 5 per cent defence spending.

Tensions within the transatlantic alliance have rising in recent weeks over US President Donald Trump’s repeated statements about his desire to acquire Greenland, insisting it is vital for security and that Washington may act “whether they like it or not” — including by force.

Mette Frederiksen, Prime Minister of Denmark, warned that any US military attack on a NATO ally would fundamentally undermine the alliance. “If the United States chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, everything stops. Including our NATO, and the security that has been provided since the end of the Second World War,” she told Danish broadcaster TV2, stressing that Greenland’s defence should remain under collective protection and respect for sovereign alliances.

In a question from Stine Bosse MEP (Denmark), concerns were raised about Greenland’s security and the risk of disagreement between allies. Rutte declined to comment on internal disputes, saying such matters must be handled privately, and instead framed Greenland within a wider Arctic and High North security context, citing growing strategic competition from Russia and China and the need for stronger collective NATO planning.

ℹ️ NATO News