STORY: :: NATO's chief says the alliance is 'not ready' for possible threats from Russia and urges more defense spending
:: December 12, 2024
:: Brussels, Belgium
:: Mark Rutte, NATO secretary general
"I'll be honest, the security situation does not look good. It's undoubtedly the worst in my lifetime, and I suspect in yours too."
"We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years. Danger is moving towards us at full speed. We must not look the other way. We must face it. What is happening in Ukraine could happen here, too. And regardless of the outcome of this war, we will not be safe in the future unless we are prepared to deal with danger. We can do that. We can prevent the next big war on NATO territory and preserve our way of life. This requires us all to be faster and fiercer. This time to shift to a wartime mindset and turbocharge our defence production and defence spending."
Rutte said NATO members had spent more than 3% of GDP on defence during the Cold War, and future spending would have to be much higher than the current alliance target of 2%.
"Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us," Rutte added in a speech in Brussels.
