No immediate military threat to NATO allies, says the secretary general of the alliance, Mark Rutte, in a speech dedicated to the military spending of the military-political alliance. He called on politicians to convince the public of the need for a significant increase in defense spending, stressing that only in this way can freedom and security be preserved, BTA quoted.
„We should be deeply concerned,”, Rutte insisted, referring to the war waged by Russia against Ukraine. He emphasized that Russian President Vladimir Putin aims to “wipe Ukraine off the world map” and establish a new world order with the support of Iran, China and North Korea.
According to Rutte, Russia is preparing for a prolonged confrontation not only with Ukraine, but also with NATO countries. He noted that the Russian economy operates in a “war regime”, with Moscow devoting between 7 and 8 percent of its GDP to military spending.
The Secretary General stressed that NATO countries must provide “much more” of two percent of GDP for defense. “We are not at war, but we are not living in peacetime either,” he declared.
Rütte warned that the danger is “moving at full speed towards us” and stressed that the events in Ukraine could be repeated in other parts of Europe. According to him, regardless of the outcome of the war in Ukraine, the world will not be safe if the NATO countries do not prepare to counter the threats.
He expressed the opinion that military production in the countries of the alliance was “weak, fragmented and slow“ and called for a review of defense procurement rules. “Without a strong defense there is no lasting security, and without security there is no freedom”, Rutte emphasized.