Europe cannot defend itself without the US, says Mark Rutte

With all the hullabaloo about divisions between the US and Europe and the proliferation of commentaries about Europe needing to get on with defending itself and spending gazillions in order to do so, it is a relief to hear someone actually talking realistic sense. Mark Rutte, secretary general of Nato, has stated that Europe cannot defend itself without the might of American military power. He is right, never mind whatever so many so-called experts have been saying. Europe needs the US and the US needs Europe. Not just because there are US military bases all over Europe, including some with stored tactical nuclear weapons, but because the 77-year-old Nato alliance, with the US at its head, is the biggest deterrent to stop Russia and other potential malign nations from launching an attack on European nations. The US-led alliance is the only obstruction to adversaries such as Putin. Weaken the alliance, let alone, carve it up into little bits, would be disastrous for Europe and even more so for the future peace of the world. So, as Rutte says, there is no possibility that European governments can spend the sort of money required to stand up to a Russian invasion. They will for ever rely on the US. Europe of course should spend more on defence but it will never be the same without the American superpower. So, Nato has to survive and the US, under Donald Trump and whoever succeeds him, must always realise that we have to stand together. Talk of breaking away from the US and standing on our own feet here in Britain and elsewhere in Europe is an unrealistic and dangerous notion. BUY AGENT REDRUTH, MY NEW SPY THRILLER - AMAZON, ROWANVALE BOOKS, WATERSTONES.