Nato must spend more to compete with Russia's war economy, says Rutte
Nato's Secretary General has warned that future war must be prevented through more spending on defence and industry – to compete with Russia's "war foot" economy.
Mark Rutte, the fourteenth secretary general of the alliance, said in a speech at the Concert Noble, in Brussels, that more spending would be needed to ensure that the world can return to peace.
"We are not at war, but we are certainly not at peace either," he said.
In his speech, the Secretary General said: "Russia's economy is on a war footing.
"In 2025, the total military spending will be 7 to 8% of GDP, if not more. That's a third of Russia's state budget – and the highest level since the Cold War.
"And Russia's defence industry is producing huge numbers of tanks, armoured vehicles, and ammunition.
"What Russia lacks in quality, it makes up for in quantity – with the help of China, Iran and North Korea."
Mr Rutte also explained how Europe's defence industries had been "hollowed out by decades of underinvestment" which needed to be corrected.
During times of peace, investment into defence became an optional extra and therefore lost its importance in policy discussions.
However, while the West lost its interest in spending on defence, Russia was preparing war equipment.
The Nato leader also praised the bravery of soldiers fighting in Ukraine who were able to adapt to their enemy and hold off the illegal invasion which began in February 2022.
He said: "I want to be clear: There is no imminent military threat to our 32 allies because Nato has been transforming to keep us safe.
"Defence spending has gone up, and innovation has accelerated.
"We have more forces at higher readiness, larger and more frequent military exercises, and more troops and hardware on our eastern flank. And, with Finland and Sweden, more Nato allies.
"With all this, our deterrence is good – for now. But it's tomorrow I'm worried about. We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years.
"On defence production, I am absolutely convinced that ramping it up is a top priority.
"To governments, I say: Give our industries the big orders and long-term contracts they need to rapidly produce more and better capabilities.
"We also need modern capabilities that use the most advanced technologies. And we need them now. So, embrace risk and invest in the pool of innovators across our countries."
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