NATO Secretary General at European Parliament conference to discuss shared security

On Tuesday (13 January 2026), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte addressed the Renew Global Europe Forum at the European Parliament.

Highlighting how NATO Allies are investing more in defence, boosting defence industrial production, and ensuring robust support for Ukraine, Mr Rutte underlined the value of cooperation between NATO and the EU to enhance our shared security.

"When we combine our strengths, of NATO and the EU, we can more effectively tackle the many challenges we face," the Secretary General said. "Working together, we keep Ukraine strong today and able to defend itself against any aggression in the future. And working together, we can produce more defence capabilities, and we can produce them faster. We can innovate better and outsmart our competitors."

He emphasized the complementary nature of the work of NATO and the EU and encouraged the audience to build on the cooperation between the two organizations.

Following his keynote address, the Secretary General engaged in conversation on a range of current security challenges with Members of the European Parliament and other guests.