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(As delivered)
General Reeves, Cadets,
It is an honour for me to join you here today.
West Point has always been a defender of democracy, of freedom and liberty.
High above the Hudson, the fortifications at West Point protected, as you know, the new born United States of America.
And for more than two centuries, West Point has made the leaders that make history.
You wear the same grey cloth as cadets MacArthur, Patton, and Eisenhower.
I personally carry a deep and abiding respect for U.S. military might.
We Dutch recognize the indispensable role your predecessors played in winning World War II.
My family and my nation thrive thanks to that fighting spirit.
West Point is an expression of the ideals that built America – duty, honour, country.
The leaders from this academy always put service over self.
From the beaches of Normandy,
to the fall of the Iron Curtain,
to defending our way of life today.
And it should come as no surprise that West Point graduates have always been at the heart of NATO.
General Eisenhower was our first Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
More than half of those who followed him as SACEUR attended West Point.
And some of you will go on to serve alongside your European brothers and sisters under a NATO flag.
The motto of this year’s West Point class was "Together We Thrive".
And together we thrive in NATO.
32 nations standing together, to protect each other.
And with great American leadership, we are making NATO even stronger.
At the NATO Summit in The Hague, we began a new chapter for NATO.
Allies will spend 5% of their GDP on core defence, and defence- and security-related investments.
This is a defining moment for NATO.
It puts America’s Allies on a trajectory to equalise their defence spending with the United States.
That way will make all of us more secure.
We will massively increase defence production, so our militaries – men and women like you across the Alliance – have what they need to keep us safe.
Allies must be able to rapidly produce, sustain, and replenish military equipment.
From basic munitions, to complex weapons systems.
Industrial might and military might go hand in hand.
And we will become stronger, because the world is more dangerous.
We are in an age of confrontation.
This is confrontation we did not seek.
It was contrived in capitals working to undermine us –
Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang, and Tehran.
Russia has brought war back to Europe and has teamed up with China, North Korea, and Iran to expand their capabilities and their ability to exert influence.
But history shows that North America and Europe working together is a winning combination.
Our adversaries know this.
Our enduring commitment to NATO’s Article 5 – that an attack on one, is an attack on all – sends a powerful message.
Any aggressor must know that we can – and will – hit back harder.
America’s military power packs a punch.
And there is strength in numbers.
NATO’s 32 Allies represent half of the world’s economic and military might.
As my friend – and your boss – President Trump has said: ‘America first does not mean America alone’.
And peace through strength is what NATO was made for.
A strong NATO means America has less to worry about in the world.
A secure Europe, a secure Atlantic, and a secure Arctic are priorities for NATO and essential for America’s long-term security.
We all benefit from the protection our transatlantic Alliance provides.
But America’s military has carried too much of the burden for too long.
So, therefore, we are rebalancing our security for the better.
With Europe and Canada stepping up.
Everyone doing their fair share will make the transatlantic bond even stronger.
American leadership is vital for transatlantic security.
And crucial to bring peace back to Europe.
I know President Trump’s personal commitment to end the fighting in Ukraine.
Too many innocent civilians, and too many soldiers have died.
Ukraine’s security impacts all of our security.
And NATO is committed to support Ukraine.
In July, President Trump and I announced a new NATO initiative to deliver urgent military support to Ukraine.
Already this has channelled 2 billion dollars of military equipment from the US, to Ukraine, paid for by Allies.
We will continue to support Ukraine so it has what it needs to defend today, and to deter any future Russian aggression.
The foundation of Ukraine’s future security will be Ukraine’s own armed forces, first of all.
The United States and Allies are working on security guarantees to ensure that once there is peace, that peace will be lasting.
We should not be naïve about President Putin.
He has shown no real sign he wants to end the war.
We see Russia pound Ukraine day after day, night after night.
I have met Vladimir Putin many times, and I am certain that increasing the pressure is the only way to get him to the negotiating table.
One lesson from the war in Ukraine is that – even with advances in modern warfare ¬– we still need well-trained, well-motivated, and well-equipped soldiers.
The individual still makes the decisive difference on the battlefield.
As General Patton said,
"The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers".
If called on, you are the generation we will depend on to lead, to fight and to win.
Cadets,
You represent the best of the United States.
You answered your country’s call.
And you will defend your nation and the values we all hold so dear.
I pay tribute to you, and to those who went before you.
When I was Prime Minister of the Netherlands, I went to the White House with a delegation to present an American flag that flew on a landing craft on D-Day.
It was a moving moment.
A reminder of the shared sacrifice of friends and Allies.
And that a strong America, with strong Allies, is unbeatable.
We honour those American heroes who set Europe free.
From the 82nd and 101st Airborne, to the First Infantry Division – The Big Red One.
And I see those heroes in you today.
You are the bright promise of a new generation.
Honour their service with your own.
And ensure your deeds provide the breath of freedom.
Cadets,
count on each other, count on your Allies, and thrive together.
Thank you so much.
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