The concept of a “NATO 3.0” suggests Europeans should contribute more to their own defense, focusing NATO’s role on defending alliance territory.
This idea received quick endorsement from some allies. Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Sandvik described NATO 3.0 as “a good way to explain his point, which we totally agree on,” in a statement to POLITICO.
Sandvik noted the necessity for the U.S. to be more active in the Pacific, which also impacts NATO, admitting, “We in Europe haven’t done enough.”
Colby’s remarks provided reassurance to European allies who had been concerned about potential criticism from the U.S. envoy.
This approach differs from past NATO summits, where American officials criticized Europe for not contributing sufficiently to defense and for wanting to limit U.S. weapon purchases.
Colby’s speech was described as “relatively positive and tempered” by a NATO diplomat who wished to remain anonymous. Another diplomat called it “the calm after the storm.”
Rutte minimized the impact of disagreements over Greenland on the alliance, stating, “You will always have debates and discussions within NATO,” adding, “I can assure you, it will be very boring if it wasn’t the case.”
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