New US tariffs do not violate NATO treaties: Alliance chief

The NATO chief said Friday that the sweeping new tariffs announced this week by US President Donald Trump do not violate the alliance's treaties, not even the one that mentions “encouraging economic collaboration.”

Secretary General Mark Rutte's comments came after a meeting with NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, where he was asked about the potential impact of the tariffs on NATO agreements.

The question cited Article 2 of the NATO treaty, which states: "NATO allies) will seek to eliminate conflict in their international economic policies and will encourage economic collaboration between any or all of them."

Rutte said of the new tariffs, which have shaken world markets and raised the specter of a global trade war: "I don't think this is in breach of Article Two. No, I don't think so. We have seen in the past many examples of differences of view, of fights over tariffs. This has happened before, without that being in violation of Article 2."

Rutte also said the question fell outside his core duties, explaining: “My role is deeply focusing on the defense of NATO territory, and that is why I'm not commenting on other things than directly related to the defense of NATO.”

- 'Russia is long-term threat'

Rutte also emphasized the ongoing and significant threat posed by Russia, stating that it remains the alliance's primary focus.

"We realize that there is one long-term and enduring, unpleasantly enduring threat, and that is Russia, and that is what our focus has to be about," he said.

During the meeting, NATO allies also heard a "clear message" from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the US commitment to NATO, alongside an expectation that Europe and Canada must take more responsibility for shared security and continue to ramp up defense spending, he added.