NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on Germany to increase its defense spending and weapons production in an interview with today's issue of the German newspaper "Bild", BTA reports.
"The Germans did very right after the war in Ukraine started," Rutte said. He drew attention to Berlin's critical military support for Kiev, as well as the recent establishment of a Bundeswehr base in Lithuania to protect the Baltics from Russian aggression.
"But given the size of the German economy, we naturally want much more to be done," the NATO secretary general noted.
"Germany must increase its defense spending, that will be necessary," Rutte continued.
He also called on Europe's largest economy to increase weapons production, saying: "We must prepare for war. This is the best way to avoid war.".
Rutte justified his request by citing what he saw as a growing cause for concern: "Not only is the situation with Russia dangerous, but China is also expanding its military potential enormously." That's why all NATO members, including the United States, must do more on defense, he said.
How high the new NATO spending target will be is up for debate, Rutte said. "But I can assure you of one thing: it will be much, much, much more than 2 percent," the alliance leader added.
NATO allies have committed to spending at least 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense - a target that could be increased at the next NATO summit in June. U.S. President Donald Trump has been pushing NATO allies to spend 5 percent on defense - a level that Washington is currently falling short of. Germany has increased its spending to just over 2 percent, DPA reported.