NATO’s Rutte Calls for Major Defense Budgets Boost

(MENAFN) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte declared on Monday that alliance members must sharply increase defense budgets well beyond the current 2% of GDP guideline, warning that emerging threats from Russia, China, and North Korea demand far greater investment.

Speaking in Vilnius ahead of the NATO Summit set for later this month in The Hague, Rutte insisted the existing 2% spending target is "not nearly enough" to secure the alliance’s future defense capabilities.

"We can defend ourselves now against Russia, but we can't in three to five to seven years. We have seen yesterday the comments by the chief of defense of Germany, and clearly, we have to stand ready so it will be considerably more than the 2%," he stated.

Rutte emphasized Moscow’s swift military modernization and pointed to deepening ties among Russia, Beijing, and Pyongyang. "We know that the Russians are really reconstituting themselves at a rapid pace. We know that there's a Chinese build-up. We know that China, Russia and North Korea are working together," he said.

On Ukraine, Rutte reiterated NATO’s steadfast backing for Kyiv’s future membership, affirming, "There was a clear commitment by all 32 Allies that there is an irreversible path for Ukraine to come into NATO."

Although no specific timeline was announced, he stressed the alliance’s firm and ongoing support, alongside expanding practical cooperation.

Rutte also extended congratulations to Poland on its recent elections and expressed eagerness to collaborate with the new government to bolster NATO’s eastern defenses.

These remarks came during a high-profile gathering in Vilnius, which included leaders from NATO’s eastern flank, Nordic countries, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The meeting also marked a key expansion of regional coordination, with the Bucharest 9 format now incorporating the Nordic Five—Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

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