02.02.2025 18:05
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made a clear call for all member countries, including Turkey, to increase their defense spending. Rutte stated, "Let me be very clear. We must be prepared for war."
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NATO Secretary General Rutte stated in an interview with the Germany-based Bild newspaper that he evaluated the Russia-Ukraine war and the defense spending of NATO members.
"WE NEED MORE TANKS, FIGHTER JETS, AND WEAPONS ACROSS ALL NATO TERRITORIES"
Rutte emphasized that more money and more industrial production are needed to deter Russian President Vladimir Putin from attacking NATO territories, stating, "From America to Turkey, we need additional production lines, extra shifts, more ammunition, more Leopard 2 tanks, more F-35 fighter jets, and more weapons across all NATO territories. Then he would never dare to attack us."
THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF TURKEY
When asked whether Russia is in a position to attack NATO, Rutte replied, "Putin should not even think about it for a moment. It would have devastating consequences for him. Currently, he spends 40% of the state budget on defense, which corresponds to 10% of Russia's national income. We do not need to spend that much, but we need much more than 2%."
TRUMP'S ARMS BUILDUP PRESSURE
Regarding U.S. President Donald Trump's demand that European NATO members allocate 5% of their gross domestic product to armament, Rutte commented: "Trump was generally right in this demand during his last term. Thanks to this initiative, we have made more investments. European allies and Canada have spent over $600 billion on defense since 2014. More than two-thirds of NATO partners are now spending more than 2% on defense, again thanks to Trump. However, we need to invest even more, and our allies will decide how to scale this in the coming months. But I can assure you of one thing: This rate will be much, much, much more than 2%."
"THE BEST WAY TO AVOID WAR"
Noting that Germany could do much more in terms of arms and ammunition production, especially considering the size of the German economy, Rutte stated that Germany needs to increase its defense spending. Indicating that the increase in defense spending will be discussed in many European countries in the coming months, Rutte said, "Let me be very clear. We must be prepared for war. This is the best way to avoid it."
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