France answers Rutte's statements: Dear Mark, Europeans can do without the United States.

The response of French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot was direct and classical: “No, dear Mark Rutte. Europeans can and should take over their safety. Even the United States agrees. This is NATO's European pillar”, he said.

France's opposition to Rutte's statements was reinforced by other officials, such as Muriel Domenech, a former French ambassador to NATO, who told X that the strategy of strengthening European security through American guarantees is outdated and sends the wrong message to Russia.

France is not the only country that supports strengthening the European pillar of NATO. French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin said today's reality requires strengthening Europe's military presence inside NATO and that this idea, proposed by France several years ago, is now supported by other countries, such as Germany.

This discussion comes at a time when Washington, under Trump's leadership, has declared that America will limit its involvement in European security. Under the new US National Defence Strategy published Friday, Europeans must take the initiative in the face of threats, and it was stressed that Europe is economically and militarily capable of protecting themselves, especially against Russia.

In addition, the US decision to boost military spending in Europe has had an impact, as last year it managed to persuade European countries to increase their defence spending to 5% of GDP.

French Foreign Minister said the EU should take responsibility for the safety of the continent without dependence on America, stressing the need for a strong European pillar within NATO.