European preference in defence is a 'luxury' debate, NATO chief tells Euronews

NATO chief Mark Rutte told Euronews the European preference debate is a "luxury" since neither Europe nor the US can meet the growing demand for defence products and the industry should ramp up its capacity.

A Brussels debate over a European preference in defence contracts ignores a basic problem: Europe's defence industry cannot produce enough, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told Euronews on Wednesday.

"The problem is not: do you buy in Europe or do you buy it in the United States? The problem is: can you buy? The money is there. But the defense industrial base in Europe is underdeveloped. It is not producing enough," Rutte said at the Euronews Defence & Space Summit in Brussels on Wednesday.

In recent months, the EU has debated whether to favour European-made products in public defence contracts, deeply dividing France, which wants a strict preference, and Germany, which favours a more open approach towards NATO allies.

Rutte, who said he comes from a free-market tradition, called the debate misplaced because neither European nor American factories can meet surging demand.

"It's always better if you have these free markets functioning as open and independent as possible. But at the moment, I think it is a discussion of luxury, whether you buy European or American, because we cannot buy on both sides. There's not enough production," he said.

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