Rutte welcomed the US's Colby to NATO headquarters for talk…

Rutte welcomed the US's Colby to NATO headquarters for talks on force posture

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte received the US Under Secretary of Defence for Policy, Elbridge A. Colby, at NATO headquarters in Brussels on 27 August 2026. Colby briefed the North Atlantic Council on the US review of force posture in Europe.

The Editorial Team · under Editor-in-Chief Jacob WollheimSWEDEN28 Aug 2026Original Source

NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte received the United States' Under Secretary of War for Policy (deputy defence secretary responsible for policy) Elbridge A. Colby at NATO headquarters in Brussels on 27 August 2026.

Colby met with the North Atlantic Council and briefed allies on the United States' ongoing review of its force posture in Europe, according to information published by NATO.

During the meeting, Rutte highlighted Colby's earlier concept of "NATO 3.0", which advocates a stronger European contribution within a stronger alliance in which the United States and its partners share security responsibilities more equally.

"The progress demonstrated at the recent NATO summit in Ankara, including the 139 billion dollar increase in defence spending by European allies and Canada in 2025," Rutte said, according to NATO.

Allies expressed appreciation for the dialogue on the United States' considerations regarding force posture and emphasised the importance of continued cooperation, according to NATO's account of the meeting.

Common questions about the article

Questions and answers generated automatically from the article content.

01What was discussed at the meeting between Rutte and Colby at Nato Headquarters?

The meeting on 27 August 2026 concerned the United States' ongoing review of its force posture in Europe. Colby briefed the North Atlantic Council on the review, and allies expressed appreciation for the dialogue and emphasised the importance of continued cooperation. Last fact-checked: 2026-08-28.

02Who is Elbridge A. Colby and what role did he have during the visit to Brussels?

03What does the NATO 3.0 concept that Rutte referred to during the meeting entail?