ReutersThe head of Nato said it was time to “switch to a wartime mentality”, as he warned members of the military alliance that they were not prepared to threaten a conflict with Russia.
Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Moscow is “preparing for a long-term confrontation” with the West, describing the current security situation as “the worst” in his lifetime.
“We are not ready for what will happen in four to five years,” he said in his first major speech since becoming secretary-general in October, and urged members to “charge” their defense spending.
His comments come weeks before president-elect Donald Trump takes office previously suggested The US would not defend NATO allies who failed to spend enough on defense.
NATO members have pledged to spend at least 2% of their total economies – measured by GDP – on defense by 2024.
But speaking at an event in Brussels, the former Dutch prime minister said “more” will be needed as an emergency “[moves] towards us at high speed”.
He said European members spent more than 3% of GDP on defense during the Cold War.
“If we don’t spend more money now to stop the war, we will pay a much, much higher price later to fight it,” he said.
He added that Russia’s economy is “at war level”, and its defense spending by 2025 will be “a third of the Russian state budget – and the highest level since the Cold War”.
Although the defense spending ratio of NATO members in Europe and Canada is estimated at 2%, not all of them reach that target.
Trump said in February that he would “encourage” Russia to attack any NATO member that defaults on its debts as part of the Western military alliance.
The 32 NATO members in Europe and North America agree that if one member is attacked, the others must defend it.
Nato members also pledged that by 2024 at least 20% of their defense spending should continue to purchase and develop the military.
But Rutte warned Russia and China had “rushed ahead” and said ramping up defense production was “a priority”.
The defense industry in Europe is “too small, too fragmented and too slow”, he warned.
“At the moment, Russia’s arms factories are churning out military equipment around the clock.”
He spoke to the crisis in the war in Ukraine, where Moscow has been capturing and recapturing the eastern region and Kursk region of Russia.
“What happened in Ukraine can also happen here,” Rutte warned.
“We are not at war. But we are not at peace either.”
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