Rutte: We must prepare for war, we are not ready for what awaits us in 4 to 5 years

AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned that the Alliance is not ready for the threats it will face in the coming years, especially from Russia. During a speech in Brussels, Rutte stressed that Russia is preparing for a long-term confrontation with Ukraine and NATO.

"Russia is preparing for a long-term conflict, both with Ukraine and with us," Rutte said. "We are not ready for what awaits us in four to five years."

He stressed that NATO must switch to a "war mindset" and accelerate production and increase defense spending. He recalled that during the Cold War, NATO members spent more than 3% of GDP on defense, and that in the future, spending will have to exceed the current target of 2% of GDP, Sky News reports.

Rutte also warned of China's ambitions, saying Beijing was significantly strengthening its forces and threatening Taiwan. He called the current security situation "the worst in my lifetime."

Since the end of the Cold War, NATO has reduced defense spending, but that changed after Russia annexed Crimea a decade ago. Since then, the allies have agreed to spend 2% of GDP as a minimum on defense. However, about a third of the members still do not meet that target.

Commenting on the situation in Ukraine, Rutte said: "We need more military assistance to Ukraine and less discussion about what a peace process might look like."