NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned in Berlin on Thursday that Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO “within five years,” urging allies to accelerate defense spending, arms production and support for Ukraine.
Speaking alongside Germany’s foreign minister, Johann Wadephul, at a keynote and moderated discussion, Rutte said the alliance must adopt a “wartime mindset” and “stop a war before it starts.” He cited intensifying Russian strikes on Ukraine, claiming Moscow has launched more than 46,000 drones and missiles this year and is expanding production of attack drones and missiles.
Rutte argued that China has become Russia’s “lifeline,” saying Chinese-made components are found in a large share of Russian drone systems, and he also pointed to support from North Korea and Iran.
He underscored the commitments made at NATO’s summit in The Hague, including a pledge to invest 5 percent of GDP annually in defense by 2035, and highlighted gains in European ammunition output. He pointed to a new factory in Unterlüß, Germany, that aims to produce 350,000 155-millimeter artillery shells a year, and praised Berlin’s planned defense spending trajectory, describing German leadership as essential to NATO’s collective defense.
On prospects for ending the war in Ukraine, Rutte said U.S. efforts led by President Trump were central to testing whether President Vladimir Putin is serious about negotiations. Any settlement, he said, would require robust security guarantees to deter renewed Russian aggression, while territorial questions ultimately belong to Ukraine.
Responding to questions about U.S. commitment, Mr. Rutte rejected scenarios of a NATO without Washington, saying the transatlantic bond remains vital for security in Europe, the Arctic and the Atlantic.
