Europe must emerge from its torpor and spend “much more” on its defense, NATO chief Mark Rutte warned on Thursday, judging that it was not prepared for the threat of a war against Russia.
“It is time to shift to a wartime mindset,” the Alliance secretary-general said in his first major speech since taking office in October.
In a serious speech, Mark Rutte called for the support of public opinion and a sense of sacrifice to “prevent the next great war on NATO territory”.
This solemn appeal from the head of the Atlantic Alliance comes at a time when Ukrainian forces are retreating on the battlefield in the face of the Russian army, which is more numerous and better equipped. This war in Ukraine causes “more than 10,000 deaths and injuries on both sides every week,” he also recalled.
“The danger is approaching us at high speed,” warned the NATO Secretary General, referring to the Russian threat on the European continent. “What happens in Ukraine can also happen here,” insisted the former Dutch prime minister and even if, he added, there is no imminent military threat against NATO, this does not does not prevent Russia from preparing for “a long-term confrontation with Ukraine, and with us”, the 32 NATO countries.
“The Russian economy is on a war footing,” while in Europe, states are reluctant to spend more to increase their defense capabilities, he lamented.
Swiss
