NATO plans major increase in air defence after Ukraine war lessons

On June 9, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte will call for a fourfold increase in air and missile defence during a speech in London, ahead of a key summit of member states in The Hague later this month.

Rutte is urging alliance members to raise defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, alongside an additional 1.5% dedicated to broader security measures, in line with U.S. President Donald Trump’s demand for a 5% total target, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Last month, he indicated he expected this goal to be agreed upon at the summit on 24-25 June.

Speaking at London’s Chatham House think tank, Rutte will stress that “for NATO to maintain credible deterrence and defence, it needs a 400% increase in air and missile defence.”

“We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies,” he will say, according to excerpts released by his office.

Rutte will add: “The fact is, we need a quantum leap in our collective defence. The fact is, we must have more forces and capabilities to implement our defence plans in full. The fact is, danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends.”

Despite ongoing fighting in Russia’s war against Ukraine and calls for ceasefires, European nations face mounting pressure to boost defence budgets. This comes as Trump signals a policy shift, urging Europe to take greater responsibility for its own security.

Several countries have already committed to increasing defence expenditure. The UK, for instance, has pledged to raise spending from 2.3% to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, with a longer-term target of 3%.

Meanwhile, Germany has announced plans to expand its active military personnel by 50,000 to 60,000 under the new NATO requirements.

By Aghakazim Guliyev