Vice President J.D. Vance met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Friday, where the two leaders discussed the future of the alliance and European contributions to defense. Rutte acknowledged that European nations must increase their military spending, saying, “We have to grow up in that sense and spend much more.”

The meeting took place during the Munich Security Conference and marked Vance’s first high-profile engagement at the event. During their discussion, Vance reiterated the Trump administration’s position that NATO remains important but must be restructured so the United States is not carrying an unfair share of the burden.

“This is actually our second meeting, the first right before the inauguration and the second now here at the Munich Security Conference,” Vance stated. “We’re going to talk about NATO, in particular the President’s desire to see NATO spend a little bit more resources on defense. And I know that’s something Secretary General Rutte agrees with me on.”

Rutte, who previously served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands, welcomed Vance’s remarks and acknowledged the urgency of the issue. “It is crucial,” he said of burden-sharing, emphasizing that Europe must play a larger role in its own security. “We are simply not producing enough. We are not keeping up with the Russians and the Chinese.”

Regarding Ukraine, Rutte rejected any peace settlement that would resemble the Minsk Agreements, which attempted to establish a ceasefire but failed to prevent further conflict. “No Minsk again. So it has to be lasting,” he said. “Putin should never try it again.”

The meeting reflected a shift in NATO discussions, with European leaders now openly agreeing that increased spending and a stronger defense posture are necessary to address security threats.