Europe should focus on own security as global threats mount, intelligence agency says

THE HAGUE - Europe must take greater responsibility for its own security, the Dutch military intelligence agency MIVD said on Tuesday, citing pressure on long-standing Western alliances and China's support for Russia's war in Ukraine.

The comment by MIVD Director Peter Reesink accompanied the release of its annual report for 2025.

"The international system we have relied on for decades - with institutions acting as guardians of rules and agreements - is under pressure," Reesink said in a statement. "It is precisely in this space, where rules blur and power becomes more decisive, that threats grow. Europe must increasingly take responsibility for its own security."

Spillover from other conflicts including the U.S.-Venezuelan conflict and tensions in the Middle East posed threats to the Netherlands and its interests, the MIVD said in a report published on Tuesday. It also warned about the growing risks of Chinese cybersecurity attacks, which the agency expects to increase this year.

The report comes amidst heightened tensions between NATO and U.S. President Donald Trump, who has threatened to leave the alliance due to its reluctance to join the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

Reesink told journalists in The Hague that the Netherlands still has a strong relationship with the United States. At the same time, he said there is an increased push by European agencies to strengthen cooperation and rely less on what the Dutch intelligence agency called "unpredictable" politics in Washington.

"Europe needs to stand on its own two feet. That applies for the defence sector ... and also for the intelligence community," he said.

The greatest security threat to the Netherlands remains the conflict in Ukraine - Europe's largest since World War Two - he said, citing military cooperation between North Korea, China, Iran and Russia.

-Anthony Deutsch; additional reporting by Suban Abdulla; Editing by Tomasz Janowski and Joe Bavier/Reuters