NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Monday warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin could threaten the alliance within five years, calling for a massive increase in defense spending and military capabilities across member nations, Politico reported.
Speaking at Chatham House in London, Rutte said the military alliance must prepare for a future where “danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends.”
“Let’s not kid ourselves; we’re all on the eastern flank now,” Rutte said, citing the extensive range of Russian missile systems.
Rutte, the former Netherlands prime minister who now leads NATO at a critical moment for global security, used his speech to argue for a dramatic scale-up in defense investments. He emphasized the urgent need for NATO allies to meet new military capability targets, including missile defense, land forces, and logistics increases.
“The fact is, we need a quantum leap in our collective defense. The fact is, we must have more forces and capabilities to implement our defense plans in full,” Rutte said.
He added that NATO must increase air and missile defense by 400% and acquire “thousands more armored vehicles and tanks, millions more artillery shells” while doubling support services like transportation, supply, and medical systems.
The address comes ahead of a high-stakes NATO summit later this month in The Hague, which will mark the return of President Donald Trump to the NATO stage. Trump, who has long criticized the alliance for failing to meet spending commitments, is expected to push for a new defense spending target of 5% of gross domestic product.
The proposed target would allocate 3.5% to direct military spending and 1.5% for other defense-related activities. This represents a significant increase from NATO’s current 2% benchmark — a goal only recently met by countries such as Italy and Spain, more than a decade after it was adopted at the 2014 Wales summit.
Convincing some southern European nations to support the new benchmark was difficult.
“Convincing Madrid was especially tricky,” one NATO official said, noting Spain’s view that Russia is not an immediate threat. Despite concerns, no member state is expected to veto against the new objective.
Rutte also addressed speculation that the U.S. could reduce its military presence in Europe as it shifts strategic focus toward China.
“Will there be a sudden withdrawal of U.S. troops? No,” Rutte said, though he acknowledged Washington’s growing attention to the Indo-Pacific region. “That shift will be a step-by-step approach that will leave no capability gaps for NATO in Europe.”
Governments are moving ahead with procurement plans for drones, warships, long-range missiles, and aircraft — including at least 700 U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets.
Rutte added a caveat: “When it comes to ammunition, Russia produces in three months what the whole of NATO produces in a year.”
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