NATO chief's stark warning: “We are Russia's next target. Conflict is on our doorstep, but too many don't feel the urgency”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte issued a stark warning to member states on Thursday, saying the alliance risks becoming “Russia's Next Target” if it doesn't rapidly increase its defense capabilities. He criticized the lack of urgency from some allies and called for immediate action.
Mark Rutte warns that Russia has brought war back to Europe PHOTO: Inquam photos/ Octav Ganea
Mark Rutte has warned that Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO in the next five years. In his message, he pointed out that too many member states seem to ignore the gravity of the situation.
“We are Russia's next target. I fear too many are complacent. Too many don't feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not. The time for action is now. The conflict is at our door. Russia brought war back to Europe. And we have to be readyi”, said Rutte, according to Reuters.
He called for rapid increases in defense spending and production to prevent a war that could end up “of the extent of the war that our grandparents and great-grandparents endured”.
The Alliance, China and the US Role
Rutte said Russia could not continue the war without China's support, signaling the need for a strengthened Western strategy.
The NATO leader mocked Vladimir Putin, saying that his next election slogan could be “Let's show Russia's weakness“. At the same time, he claimed that “American President Donald Trump is the only one who can bring Putin to the negotiating table.”
“We need to strengthen Ukraine so we can stop Putin”Rutte said, adding that he is convinced that Europe and the US are aligned in terms of support for Kiev.
Message to Europe: more responsibility in defence
In a press conference in Berlin, together with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Rutte also commented on the new security strategy of the United States, recently criticized in Europe for its wording on democracy.
“If I look from my perspective and analyze the security strategy, it clearly states that the US is committed to Europe, (is committed) to providing security to Europe”he said. But Washington also shows that “the entire alliance must remain safe”, which is why a “close cooperation” between Europe, USA and Canada.
He recalled that Donald Trump demanded at the NATO summit in The Hague that the allies make a greater joint effort to increase military spending.
“The US has always been committed to NATO, but they have always expected us to do more, to spend as much as they do. Not just because we have to, but because we have to in order to achieve our capability goals and to ensure that we can fight the Russians if they attack us“, Rutte pointed out. He also warned against China's rearmament.
Germany, set as an example for increasing defense spending
The NATO chief welcomed Germany's plan to reach defense spending of 3.5% of GDP by 2029, saying Berlin is becoming a model for the rest of Europe.
For his part, Chancellor Merz said that there are no signs that Washington would give up its NATO commitments.
“At this point, I have no reason to doubt the agreements we have with the U.S. within the NATO alliance. There is no announcement or any step toward dismantling the promise of mutual security that we have made to each otherhe said.
Merz emphasized that the American strategy contains elements of appreciation for NATO and conveyed that Germany knows that “he must do much more than in the past for the security of Europe“.
“Not because someone is putting pressure on us, but because it is in our interest that Europe can stand on its own two feet. It is a requirement so that we can maintain our European way of life, freedom, security and well-being in the future“, said the German chancellor.
