Rutte says Europe ‘got the message’ after NATO withdraws 5,000 troops from Germany

On 2026-05-04, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in Yerevan that European leaders had “gotten the message” from the United States and were stepping up after Washington announced a withdrawal of 5,000 troops from Germany. He made the comments on arrival at the European Political Community summit, framing the move as a push for a stronger European role in NATO.