NATO needs higher defense budgets and stronger support for Ukraine, says Rutte
Photo: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (GettyImages)
European security directly depends on increased defense spending by NATO countries and maintaining Ukraine's maximum military capability.
This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in his interview with Bild.
Peace negotiations
According to Rutte, NATO must fulfill two key conditions to continue guaranteeing peace. These include increasing arms spending and production, and providing comprehensive support to Ukraine in its war against Russia. He emphasized that if Russia were to seize all of Ukraine, the consequences for the Alliance would be far more severe and would require significantly higher costs.
"We will ensure that Christmas remains safe. But for that, we must increase defense spending and make sure Ukraine remains as strong as possible. If Russia gains control over all of Ukraine, the consequences for NATO will be serious, and we will have to spend much more," Rutte said.
He also addressed the scale of Russian military losses. NATO estimates that Russia has suffered up to 1.1 million killed and wounded while gaining less than 1% of Ukrainian territory in a year.
"Putin is willing to sacrifice 1.1 million of his people for minimal territorial gains. It’s terrible, but it’s the reality we are dealing with," he said.
Change of power in Russia
Commenting on potential changes in Russia’s leadership, Rutte warned against naive expectations. He stressed that regardless of who leads Russia in the future, NATO must be prepared for threats.
He also highlighted the global dimension of security, particularly the connection between Russia and China. He noted that in the event of a military scenario around Taiwan, Beijing could involve Moscow in destabilizing Europe.
"We must not be naive. We have to invest in defense, strengthen our capabilities, and engage the best people to be ready for any challenge," the secretary general said.
Russia preparing for war with NATO
Earlier, several NATO countries warned that after the war in Ukraine ends, Russia could be ready for a large-scale confrontation with the Alliance within three to five years.
In response, Estonia, Lithuania, and Poland plan to spend over 5% of their GDP on defense next year, while other NATO countries are also increasing military spending.
European Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said German intelligence has evidence that the Kremlin has discussed a potential scenario for attacking NATO.
Meanwhile, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia has already intensified information and psychological operations, which may be part of preparations for a potential conflict with the Alliance, including provocations under a false flag. Previously, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo also stated that if a peace agreement on Ukraine is reached, Russia could redeploy troops to NATO’s eastern flank.
At the same time, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has called the idea of a NATO attack plan "nonsense" and "impossible to believe."
