“I am deeply concerned about the security situation in Europe. We are not at war, but we are not at peace either,” said the Secretary General of the Alliance.
Sweden is “not at war” but not at peace either, according to its Prime Minister
Mark Rutte called for more investment in European defense capabilities. “This cannot wait,” he warned. He also called for increased support for Ukraine in an effort to “change the trajectory of the war.”
Currently, two thirds of EU member states allocate at least 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) to defense, noted Mr. Rutte. To be safe in the coming years, we will have to invest “considerably more”, according to him.
-The man admitted that increased investment in defense would mean less money for other priorities. “Countries invest up to a quarter of their GDP in pensions, health systems or social security. We need a small fraction of this money to strengthen our defense,” he said.
Trump wants NATO countries to increase their defense budgets to 5% of GDP
Strengthening defense is “my top priority”, said Rutte, who was at the European Parliament for the first time since taking office as secretary general in October.
