VILNIUS — NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday called on alliance members to raise defense spending “well beyond” the current 2% of GDP target, warning that mounting threats from Russia, China, and North Korea demand far greater investment in military readiness.
Speaking ahead of the upcoming NATO Summit in The Hague, Rutte said that the 2% benchmark, once considered a goal, is now a “minimum,” not sufficient to meet the alliance’s evolving strategic challenges. “We can defend ourselves now against Russia, but we can’t in three to five to seven years,” he cautioned, referencing warnings from German defense officials about Europe’s long-term vulnerabilities.
Rutte pointed to the rapid pace of Russian rearmament and deepening cooperation between Moscow, Beijing, and Pyongyang as alarming developments. He also reaffirmed NATO’s long-term commitment to Ukraine, declaring that all 32 allies support Kyiv’s “irreversible path” to joining the alliance. His remarks came during a regional summit in Vilnius with eastern flank and Nordic leaders, as NATO expands cooperation with the inclusion of the Nordic Five.
