NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned that European allies could be “Russia’s next target,” urging governments to accelerate defense spending and prepare for a potential large-scale conflict.
In a speech at the Munich Security Conference in Berlin, Rutte said Europe must abandon complacency as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues and US pressure intensifies.
“We need to be ready because conflicts are no longer fought at arm’s length. Conflict is at our door,” he said. “Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured.”
Rutte said NATO could prevent such a “tragedy” if all members deliver on their commitments, warning that Moscow “could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years.”
“Too many are quietly complacent. Too many believe time is on our side. It is not,” he added.
NATO members in June agreed to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035 more than double the current 2% target and aligned with the level long demanded by former US President Donald Trump.
While acknowledging that Europe “must take more care of our own defense,” Rutte stressed the importance of maintaining US commitment to NATO.
“It’s crucial we keep the transatlantic bond as it is today,” he said, noting that US security depends on a stable Atlantic safeguarded by NATO.
Rutte also credited Trump with breaking the stalemate in peace talks with Russia, saying the U.S. president was “the only one who could break the deadlock with Putin.”
European leaders remain cautious as peace discussions advance, insisting that Ukraine must retain the right to decide any territorial concessions.
“There have to be security guarantees for Ukraine strong enough that Putin knows any future attack would be devastating,” Rutte said.
Meanwhile, Russia has demanded that the United Kingdom “admit” the circumstances surrounding a British soldier who died in Ukraine implying, without evidence, that British forces were engaged in undisclosed operations.
The UK Ministry of Defence said the soldier died “following a tragic accident whilst observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability, away from the front lines.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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