NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte believes that the US will not withdraw its troops from Europe soon, and there is simply no alternative to the US nuclear umbrella.
"It will take time. The nuclear umbrella is the main guarantor of freedom in Europe. However, in the long term, the strong presence of the USA, including in the traditional sphere, will always remain," Rutte said in an interview with the American PBS TV channel.
US Permanent Representative to NATO Matthew Whittaker said on Monday that the US plans to leave only the nuclear umbrella to Europe, while European countries should take over the traditional defense of the continent.
He compared Washington's European allies in the alliance to children who should no longer depend on their parent, the United States.
