NATO chief tells Trump the alliance would come to US aid; EU says ready to sign defence and security pact with India

by AFP Staff Writers
Davos, Switzerland (AFP) Jan 21, 2026

NATO chief Mark Rutte sought to reassure President Donald Trump Wednesday that the alliance would aid the United States if it came under attack, after the US leader questioned its commitment to Washington.

"You can be assured, absolutely, if ever (the) US will be under attack, your allies will be with you," Rutte told Trump on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, noting that NATO had already done so in Afghanistan following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Earlier this month, Trump said in a Truth Social post that he doubted allies would "be there for us if we really needed them," writing: "We will always be there for NATO, even if they won't be there for us."

Trump has also repeatedly insisted that the United States must take control of Greenland from NATO ally Denmark -- a quest that has deeply shaken the global order as well as financial markets.

The US president on Wednesday for the first time ruled out using force to take Greenland, but demanded "immediate negotiations" to acquire the island.

Denmark said it was a "positive" sign that Trump said he wanted to avoid force, but stressed that Trump had not backed away from his push to acquire Greenland.

EU says ready to sign defence and security pact with India
Strasbourg, France (AFP) Jan 21, 2026 - The European Union is ready to sign a defence and security pact with India, the bloc's top diplomat said Wednesday, as Brussels and New Delhi seek closer commercial and political ties.

Kaja Kallas made the announcement to the European Parliament in Strasbourg ahead of an EU-India summit in Delhi next week, where the deal could be inked.

"Today, we agreed to move forward with the signature of a new EU-India security and defence partnership," Kallas told lawmakers.

The move comes as the two geopolitical heavyweights face economic and security challenges from the world's two biggest economies, China and the United States.

"The EU and India are moving closer together at the time when the rules-based international order is under unprecedented pressure through wars, coercion and economic fragmentation," Kallas said.

"Two major democracies cannot afford to hesitate. We must become more ambitious partners."

Kallas said the defence pact would deepen cooperation in areas including maritime security, cybersecurity and counter terrorism.

The EU has recently signed similar deals with Canada and Britain in a push to bring defence industries closer together as the allies contend with an aggressive Russia and worries over US reliability under President Donald Trump.

New Delhi, which has relied on Moscow for decades for key military hardware, has tried to cut its dependence on Russia in recent years by diversifying imports and pushing its own domestic manufacturing base.

With both hit by US tariffs, India and the 27-nation EU are also working on a free trade agreement.

This could be signed as soon as next week, when EU chiefs Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa are due to travel to Delhi for the summit.

Kallas said Brussels was also looking to strike a deal on mobility to facilitate movement for seasonal workers, students, researchers and highly skilled professionals.