NATO Secretary General Rutte sounds the alarm: We are not ready for what will face us in four to five years

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte spoke at a special event titled “NATO Must Increase Its Defense to Prevent War,” organized by the think tank Carnegie Europe in Brussels, the capital of Belgium.

"WE ARE NOT READY"

Discussing NATO’s strategic priorities and its vision for strengthening collective defense, Rutte stated that there is currently no direct threat against NATO allies. Rutte said, “But what worries me most is tomorrow. We are not ready for what will face us in four to five years. The danger is approaching us at full speed. We must not look the other way; we must face it. What is happening in Ukraine could happen here, and no matter the outcome of this war, we will not be safe unless we prepare to deal with the danger in the future.”

Emphasizing the need to increase defense spending and defense production, Rutte said, "We can prevent the next major war on NATO territory and protect our way of life. This requires all of us to be faster and more decisive. It is time for us to shift to a wartime mindset.”

"I VISITED TUSAŞ"

Highlighting that he has been visiting various European countries to review defense production capacity since taking office at NATO, Rutte said, “In Turkey, I visited Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAŞ) and saw the capacity they possess. I met with industry representatives.”

"OUR DEFENSE INDUSTRY IS TOO SMALL AND TOO SLOW"

Arguing that Europe’s defense industry has been hollowed out over decades by low investment and the influence of narrow national industrial interests as defense became a luxury during peacetime, Rutte said, “As a result, our defense industry is too small, too fragmented, and too slow. On the other hand, Russian arms factories are producing more equipment day and night. Despite the heroic efforts of our Ukrainian friends, Russian forces are regrouping much faster than we expected. They are learning lessons quickly on the battlefield.”

"RUSSIA AND CHINA ARE ADVANCING RAPIDLY"

Stating that China’s military capacity is also growing rapidly, Rutte said, "According to some sources, China is acquiring high-tech weapons and equipment five to six times faster than the US. It is investing heavily in ammunition, accelerating its space capabilities, and expanding its nuclear arsenal.”

Rutte added, “Russia and China are advancing rapidly, and there is a risk of us falling behind them. This is very dangerous. It does not have to be this way. If we strengthen our industry, we can outpace our competitors. So, what are we waiting for?”

Emphasizing that it is true that NATO allies are spending more on defense than they were 10 years ago, but that this is still much lower than during the Cold War era, Rutte stated that the threats to freedom and security are on the same scale as, or even greater than, those of the Cold War.

Sending the message that NATO must spend more on defense to prevent war, Rutte said, “We need to maintain our deterrence in the long term to ensure that no one even thinks about attacking us. We can do this. We have done it before, and we can do it again.”

"THEY MIGHT TRY TO ATTACK"

Responding to a question during the panel following his speech about whether strengthening NATO would cause non-NATO countries to worry and lead to further instability, Rutte said, “NATO is not an offensive alliance; it is a defensive alliance.”

Rutte stated, “But if we are not strong enough, if Putin and others think we are in a position where we cannot defend ourselves, they might try to attack. This is already happening in the cyber domain, but here I am implying military attacks. We cannot take such a risk.”

"IT IS CLEAR THAT TURKEY HAS AN IMPRESSIVE DEFENSE INDUSTRY INFRASTRUCTURE"

Responding to a question regarding the dialogue between Turkey and Greece, Rutte said, “The impression I get when talking to President Erdoğan and Prime Minister Mitsotakis is that they are truly working to improve relations. They are at a much better point than they were a few years ago. They are in dialogue. We will do whatever we can to help. These are two key NATO allies, and of course, Greece has a very strong defense. Turkey, on the other hand, is defending its own territory. However, it is clear that Turkey is a key part of NATO’s overall defense and possesses a large and impressive defense industry infrastructure. I think the situation is moving in the right direction.”

TRUMP'S THREAT TO LEAVE NATO

Regarding a question about US President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to leave NATO, Rutte said, “He wants to ensure that the US is not overspending and that we are not doing enough. And he is right about that. We need to do this for ourselves because our security is at stake.”

News Source: İHA