Subscribe here: [ Ссылка ] In more than 20 years of covering wars and reporting on defence, I cannot remember a NATO boss using such strong language to talk about existential threats.
It signals a genuine sense of crisis inside NATO headquarters in Brussels, which is not known for being unduly alarmist.
Russia's cooperation with North Korea, Iran and China threatens Europe and the Indo-Pacific region, NATO chief Mark Rutte said on Tuesday. "Russia working together with North Korea, Iran and China ... it threatens peace and security, yes, here in Europe, but also in the Indo-Pacific and in North America," said the head of the military alliance during a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.
'Danger is moving towards us at full speed. We must not look the other way. We must face it,' warns Mark Rutte. NATO chief Mark Rutte warns that Vladimir Putin is preparing for a prolonged confrontation with Europe, even beyond the war in Ukraine. Rutte emphasizes the need for Europe to remain united and vigilant against Russia's long-term ambitions. Watch for key insights on NATO's stance and future strategy!
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on Thursday that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to “wipe Ukraine off the map” and could come after other parts of Europe next, as he urged Europeans to press their governments to ramp up defense spending.
“It is time to shift to a wartime mindset,” Rutte told security experts and analysts at the Carnegie Europe think-tank in Brussels. He said people should gird themselves for the prospect that Russia might try to use “swarms of drones” in Europe as it has to deadly effect in Ukraine.
Putin “is trying to crush our freedom and way of life,” Rutte said. The former Dutch prime minister listed Russia’s attacks on Georgia in 2008, the annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, and the all-out invasion launched almost three years ago.
“How many more wake-up calls do we need? We should be profoundly concerned. I know I am,” he said. “Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation. With Ukraine, and with us.”
Rutte said that “a bad deal means Putin coming out on top, and that will have worldwide ramifications, not only on Europe and Ukraine.” He insisted that Ukraine must be involved in any peace talks.
Trump routinely complains that U.S. allies in NATO are not spending enough on defense. Rutte said Russia’s military spending is likely to amount to 7 to 8% of its GDP next year -– far more than any NATO ally –- while its defense industry churns out tanks, armored vehicles and ammunition.
Putin also has the support of allies like China, Iran and North Korea.
Rutte noted that defense spending has risen sharply in Europe, with 23 allies expected to reach NATO’s target of putting 2% of GDP into their military budgets. But he added: “I can tell you, we are going to need a lot more than 2%.”
Beyond increased defense spending in Europe, Rutte noted that NATO now has tens of thousands of troops on high readiness should they be needed to defend allied territory.
Rutte appealed to governments to provide the defense industry with “the big orders and long-term contracts they need to rapidly produce more and better capabilities.” He urged the industry to boost production for defenses against drones and other new war tactics.
He added that “freedom does not come for free” to the estimated 1 billion people living in the Euro-Atlantic area.
"We will not be safe in the future unless we are prepared to deal with danger," he said. "We can do that. We can prevent the next big war on NATO territory. And preserve our way of life.
"This requires us all to be faster and fiercer. It is time to shift to a wartime mindset. And turbo-charge our defence production and defence spending."
As well as aiming his words at European allies and Canada, the intervention by Mr Rutte was also doubtless designed to catch the attention of Donald Trump.
“If we don’t spend more together now to prevent war, we will pay a much, much, much higher price later to fight it. Not billions, but trillions of euros. That’s if we come out on top, and that’s if we win,” he said.
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