“We are Russia’s next target. And we are already in danger… Russia has brought the war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for a military conflict on the same scale as our grandfathers and great-grandfathers experienced,” Rutte said.
While the NATO chief welcomed the alliance's decision to increase overall military spending to 5% of GDP annually by 2035, Rutte said more needed to be done and that NATO members must adopt a “military mindset.”
“Now is not the time for self-praise. I fear that too many have quietly become complacent. Too many people lack a sense of urgency. And too many people believe that time is on our side. This is wrong. The time to act is now,” Rutte said.
He warned that Russia may be strong enough to attack NATO territory sooner than many think. “NATO's own defenses may hold up for now, but with a war-oriented economy, Russia may be ready to use military force against NATO within five years,” he said.
Rutte called for urgent action, explaining that illegitimate Russian President Vladimir Putin has already demonstrated a willingness to sacrifice the lives of Russian soldiers in large numbers. He emphasized that since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, more than a million Russian military personnel have died. Putin is paying for his pride with the blood of his people. And if he is ready to sacrifice ordinary Russians in this way, what is he ready to do to us?” asked the head of NATO.
Rutte also said the Kremlin would not be able to continue its war against Ukraine without Chinese help. “China is a lifeline for Russia,” he said. “Without China’s support, Russia would not have been able to continue this war. About 80 percent of the critical electronic components in Russian drones and other systems are made in China. Therefore, when civilians die in Kyiv or Kharkov, Chinese technology is often used in the weapons that kill them.”
Context
On January 22, 2025, the head of the European Defense Agency (EDA), Kaja Kallas, called on EU countries to increase investment in defense not only to prevent war, but also to be prepared for it. After all, according to intelligence services, the aggressor country Russia can attack Europe within three to five years. According to Kallas, Moscow spends almost five times more budget funds on military purposes than Brussels.
On June 22, all NATO member countries agreed to increase their defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product. Spain was against it. A few days before the summit in The Hague, the country's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that he did not see the point in this.
On August 28, the NATO press service reported that in 2025, all member countries of the alliance increased their defense spending.
On December 5, the United States threatened the Europeans that they could abandon part of their NATO obligations, writes Reuters.
