The head of NATO has warned that the military alliance’s members are not spending enough to prepare for the threat of a future conflict with Russia, saying it is time to “move to a wartime mindset”.
Secretary-General Mark Rutte said the Russian government was “preparing for a long-term conflict with Ukraine and with us” and described the current security situation as the worst in its lifetime.
“We are not ready for what will happen in four or five years,” he said in his first major speech as secretary-general in October, urging member states to “increase” defense spending.
His comments came weeks before President-elect Donald Trump took office, having previously suggested the United States would not protect NATO allies that do not spend enough on defense.
NATO member states have committed to spending at least 2% of their economic value, measured in GDP, on defense annually by 2024.
But speaking at an event in Brussels, the former Dutch prime minister said “much more” would be needed as the danger was “coming towards us at full speed”.
He said European countries spent more than 3% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense during the Cold War.
“If we don’t spend more together now to prevent wars, we’re going to pay a much, much, much higher price to fight them later,” he said.
He added that Russia’s economy is “in combat readiness” and that defense spending by 2025 is scheduled to be “one-third of Russia’s state budget, the highest level since the Cold War.”
Russia has significantly increased defense spending since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with record levels approved for 2025.
Rutte spoke at a critical juncture in the Ukraine war, with Russian forces advancing into eastern Ukraine. By November, Moscow had captured six times more Ukrainian territory in 2024 than in all of 2023.
The average defense spending of NATO members in Europe and Canada is estimated at 2%, but not all are on target.
President Trump said in February that he would “encourage” Russia to attack NATO members that do not pay their bills as part of the Western military alliance.
The 32 NATO members in Europe and North America agree that if one member is attacked, other members should help defend it.
After Thursday’s speech, Mr Rutte told the BBC: “Donald Trump was absolutely right to force us to increase spending in his first term. He has been successful and we are confident that he will become president. “In that sense, we’re spending a lot more than we were before we started,” he said. He was completely right. ”
This is why some in NATO refer to Rutte as the “Trump Whisperer.” And they say that’s a big reason why he was chosen as NATO Secretary General.
In 2018, then-President Trump famously threatened that the United States would “go our own way” if other NATO members, primarily in Europe, didn’t spend more on their militaries. Dutch Prime Minister Rutte at the time is said to have convinced the U.S. president that spending had already increased and that he, President Trump, was the cause.
Now, with President Trump poised to return to the White House, Rutte wants the United States to remain fully committed to the defense of NATO and Europe. In short, Rutte’s message to Trump was once again flattering to Trump.
As a former prime minister, Rutte has often noted European leaders’ reluctance to significantly increase defense spending as voters across the continent have other priorities such as rising costs of living, health and migration. know.
That’s why he intended today’s speech as a “plea” to “the people”, he told the BBC.
“I am appealing directly from the bottom of my heart to the one billion people living in NATO territory, especially in Canada and Europe, to help me,” Rutte said.
“I called the politicians and said yes, it’s difficult, and I agree that spending on other things will be cut back a little bit, but I want them to prioritize defense, because this is what’s important in the long run. Please tell me…”
“My message here is that if you have children and grandchildren, and you believe that our way of life, our democracy, our values should be protected, we must prioritize defense. It means you have to.
“If we don’t do that, we’re going to be in real trouble in four or five years.”
