The head of NATO has warned that the military alliance would unleash a “devastating” reaction if any country were to attack Poland or its allies.
During a visit to Warsaw, the organization’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, said that Russia remains a “dire threat” and that “boosting defense spending is essential.”
He added that—despite the United States’ changing priorities under the Donald Trump administration—the partnership between Europe and North America “remains the bedrock of our alliance.”
In an address loaded with praise for Poland’s heavy investment in defense—set to reach 4.7% of GDP this year—Rutte told Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that NATO’s commitment to protecting its member states was “absolutely clear.”
“If anyone were to miscalculate and think they can get away with an attack on Poland or on any other ally, they will be met with the full force of this fierce alliance,” he said.
“Our reaction will be devastating. This has to be very clear to [Russian President] Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin and anyone else who wants to attack us.”
Tusk said this reassurance was “very important” for Poles, especially “in such turbulent times where geopolitical picture is changing before our very eyes.”
‘Dire’ Russian threat
Former Dutch PM Rutte, who took the helm of NATO last autumn, said it was important to remember that Russia—whose full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 provoked a war just beyond Poland’s eastern border—remains a threat.
“Let's not forget that Russia is […] the most significant and dire threat to our alliance. Let's not forget that Russia is moving into a wartime economy, and that will have a huge impact on their capacity and capability to build their armed forces,” he said.
Lauding Poland’s involvement in patrolling the Baltic Sea and the East Shield project to strengthen the country’s borders with Belarus and Russia, Rutte called Warsaw “a vital contributor to NATO's collective defense.”
Despite the fissures between Europe and the U.S. caused by the Trump administration’s conciliatory attitude to Russia, its turbulent relationship with Ukraine and its demand that Europe spend more on defense, Rutte emphasized that NATO has the American-European alliance at its heart.
‘Bedrock’ of NATO
“These are uncertain times, but let me be clear on one thing: the transatlantic partnership remains the bedrock of our alliance, and this will not change,” he said.
“The U.S. has repeatedly made clear its commitment to a strong NATO, and President Trump reiterated this when we met at the White House earlier this month, but he also made clear that Europe must step up, and Poland is doing exactly that.”
In his response, Tusk also emphasized that the alliance stood on “two pillars”—Europe and the United States—and added that Poland maintained a “very stable” relationship with Washington despite changes in government.
“That comes from the fact that Poland is the NATO country that really invests heavily in its defense, invests heavily in NATO,” he said.
“Let me put it bluntly: which other country deserves the wholehearted support and guarantees from NATO more than Poland?”
“There is no alternative to NATO”
U.S. President Donald Trump this month cast doubt on Washington's willingness to defend NATO allies it deemed were not paying enough for their own defense, triggering alarm among European leaders as they try to shore up Ukraine in its fight against invading Russian forces.
“Let me be absolutely clear, this is not the time to go it alone. Not for Europe or North America,” Rutte said.
“The global security challenges are too great for any of us to face on our own. When it comes to keeping Europe and North America safe, there is no alternative to NATO,” he added.
Rutte's call for transatlantic unity came days after the Atlantic reported that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance had complained about European allies in a chat group. Hegseth expressed his “loathing of European free-loading”, according to the Atlantic.
Asked whether allies can still have confidence in the U.S. after the controversy, Rutte later told reporters: “Absolutely, can we trust the Americans, yes. They are our biggest partner, the biggest allies in NATO.”
