NATO's Secretary-General urged European leaders to step up defence efforts to prevent a war waged by Russia, that could be "on the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured".
Speaking in Berlin, Mark Rutte expressed concern that too many NATO member states have failed to grasp the immediacy of the threat posed by the Kremlin. In a candid assessment of the current geopolitical climate, the former Dutch Prime Minister stressed that the only way to avert a direct military confrontation is through a rapid and substantial increase in defence capabilities.
He warned that Russia could be militarily ready of launching an attack against NATO territory within the next five years.
"We must be prepared now," Rutte told the audience, urging allies to move beyond peacetime planning. He argued that the current pace of rearmament is insufficient to match a Russian economy that has effectively shifted to a total war footing.
"We are Russia's next target. And we are already in harm's way. When I became NATO Secretary General last year, I warned that what is happening in Ukraine could happen to allied countries too. That we have to shift to a wartime mindset," Rutte added.
While defence spending has risen across the alliance since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Rutte emphasised that financial pledges alone are no longer enough. The focus, he argued, must shift toward tangible industrial output.
"More allies, more allies in Europe need to urgently step up. We are grateful for the United States efforts in pursuing a lasting peace in Ukraine. Relevant progress has been made with crucial Ukrainian and European involvement," he said.
The NATO chief called for a massive expansion in the production of ammunition, weaponry, and military hardware to replenish depleted stockpiles and ensure credible deterrence. His remarks align with recent calls from military analysts who suggest that Europe must "future-proof" its security architecture, regardless of political changes in Washington.
Rutte’s intervention comes at a critical juncture for the security alliance. As the war in Ukraine approaches its third year, European nations are under increasing pressure to shoulder a larger burden of their own security.
Several NATO members on the eastern flank, including Poland and the Baltic states, have already exceeded the alliance's target of spending 2% of GDP on defence. However, Rutte’s speech in Germany—Europe’s largest economy—was a clear signal that the continent’s major powers must lead the charge in strengthening the NATO shield.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran see...
A criminal court in Damascus has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary de...
Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom plans to increase its workforce at Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant to 100 specialists by the autumn,...
One hundred years after the First World War and more than eighty years after the devastation of the Second World War gave rise to the United Nations, humanity once again finds itself living in an age of permanent crisis.
Flights arriving at Catania airport in eastern Sicily were suspended after volcanic ash from a new eruption of Mount Etna drifted into the airspace around the airport, disrupting operations at one of Italy’s busiest aviation hubs.
For months, efforts to secure the Red Sea have focused on what is happening in the water. Naval deployments have increased, governments have expanded maritime cooperation and shipping companies have adapted to persistent security threats.
Greenland has issued a “strong warning” to a U.S. oil company linked to President Donald Trump after drilling equipment was brought ashore without the required government approvals, according to British media.
A deal on a new route for vessels through the Strait of Hormuz is "very close," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said, while warning that the reopening of the waterway depends on the U.S. meeting other conditions, including paying compensation to Iran.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called for Iran to pay compensation for decades of deaths and damage, adding a new demand to peace talks as Tehran seeks compensation and sanctions relief before reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
A criminal court in Damascus has sentenced former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to death in absentia for premeditated murder, torture, arbitrary detention and crimes against humanity, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom plans to increase its workforce at Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant to 100 specialists by the autumn, depending on the security situation and progress toward a halt in hostilities between Washington and Tehran.
Russia’s Supreme Court has barred the liberal Yabloko party from contesting September’s parliamentary election, removing the only officially registered party openly opposed to Moscow’s war in Ukraine from the ballot.
U.S. President Donald Trump has warned FIFA against replacing its president, Gianni Infantino, as the football governing body faces mounting pressure over a failed proposal to sell an interest in the World Cup to private equity investors.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment