To prevent war, NATO must embrace wartime mindset – Rutte

Speaking in Brussels during a keynote address titled "To Prevent War, NATO Must Spend More" at the Carnegie Eure think tank, Rutte called for accelerated defense production and increased military spending.

“Our deterrence is good – for now. But it’s tomorrow I’m worried about…Danger is moving towards us at full speed. What is happening in Ukraine could happen here too,” Rutte stated.

He stressed that NATO must adapt swiftly to address emerging threats, which requires a “turbo-charged” approach to defense manufacturing and spending.

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While NATO has made significant strides — such as increasing high-readiness forces, expanding military exercises, and deploying tros and equipment along its eastern flank — Rutte argued these measures are insufficient for the challenges ahead.

Rutte highlighted the need to overhaul Eure's fragmented and underfunded defense industries, which have struggled to scale up due to decades of neglect during peacetime.

Eurean defense industry is “too small, too fragmented, and too slow,” he noted. Meanwhile, Russian military factories are working around the clock, and China is rapidly advancing its military-industrial capabilities.

Rutte pointed out that China is modernizing its forces, including nuclear capabilities, at an unprecedented pace. By 2030, China's nuclear arsenal is expected to exceed 1,000 warheads — up from just 200 in 2020. Additionally, China is investing heavily in cutting-edge technogies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and space programs.

“Russia and China are racing ahead. We risk lagging behind, which is very dangerous,” Rutte warned.

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Despite these concerns, Rutte expressed confidence in NATO’s ability to outpace its rivals if it acts decisively. He stressed the importance of scaling up production and leveraging NATO's defense plans, which outline the necessary capabilities — from ships and tanks to satellites and drones.

“Ukrainians are fighting against Russian swarms of drones. That’s what we need to be prepared for,” he stated.

As previously reported, at the beginning of December, Mark Rutte emphasized that, in the current security situation, the previously set minimum defense spending target of 2% of GDP no longer meets the Alliance's deterrence and defense needs.

NATO member states are currently negotiating an increase in the bloc’s defense spending targets, which could reach 3% of GDP or even more. Already, several "frontline" states, including Pand and the Baltic countries, have defense budgets exceeding this prospective "threshd" for defense spending.