At a conference on Thursday organized by think tank Carnegie Europe, Mark Rutte stressed that the Russian threat is long-term and that Russia is preparing for a long-term conflict with both Ukraine and NATO. pointed out.
Rutte said Russia, China, North Korea and Iran are “undermining North America and Europe” and “trying to transform the world order.” These countries “are testing us, and the rest of the world is watching.”
“We are not ready,” Rutte said, referring to the rapid pace of Russia's rearmament.
The NATO Secretary-General assured that there was no imminent military threat to the alliance's 32 members, but expressed concern about the future. “We're not ready for what's in store in four or five years,” he said.
Rutte also noted the increase in Russia's military spending, which is expected to reach 7-8% in 2025. GDP is at its highest level since the Cold War.
In this regard, he stressed the need to increase weapons production to deal with the growing threat. “Europe's defense industry has been weakened by decades of underinvestment and the narrow interests of domestic industry,” he said. He noted that Russia's weapons factories are producing war equipment around the clock and that Russia is rebuilding its forces “much faster than we expected.”
China's nuclear ambitions worry NATO chief
In addition to the Russian threat, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary-General highlighted China's ambitions, which are “significantly increasing its military capabilities, including its nuclear arsenal.” According to him, the Chinese government plans to increase the number of nuclear warheads from 200 in 2020 to more than 1,000 by 2030.
Mr. Rutte also fears Chinese actions against Taiwan and seeks to gain access to key infrastructure in NATO countries that “could paralyze society.” He added that China is also expanding its military industrial base and is acquiring advanced weapons systems “five to six times faster than the United States.”
Rutte called for increased military spending
In this regard, he called on NATO governments to place large orders and enter into long-term contracts with the defense industry so that they can quickly produce more and better quality equipment. He encouraged investment in innovation, “risk-taking” and changes to outdated public procurement rules.
The NATO Secretary-General also called on citizens of allied countries to put pressure on banks and pension funds to invest in the defense industry. “An investment in defense is an investment in the security of our country,” he said.
Regarding defense spending, Rutte said, “Although it is higher now than it was 10 years ago, it is still significantly lower than during the Cold War.'' “If we don't work together now to prevent wars, we will pay a much higher price to fight them later,” Rutte said.
He concluded his speech by asking the people to “tell our politicians that we will accept the sacrifices we make today for the safety of tomorrow.”
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