NATO secretary general: Boosting defence spending, production - top priority

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has emphasised that increasing defence production and spending is a top priority in the current period, as the Alliance faces significant security risks.

Rutte made these remarks at an event organised by the Carnegie Europe think tank in Brussels, Caliber.Az reports, citing the message on NATO's website.

The secretary-general also noted that Türkiye plays a crucial role in the defence of the Euro-Atlantic region.

"Russia, China, but also North Korea and Iran, are hard at work to try to weaken North America and Europe. The security situation does not look good. It’s undoubtedly the worst in my lifetime,"  he said.

"On defence production, I am absolutely convinced that ramping it up is a top priority. This requires us all to be faster and fiercer. It is time to shift to a wartime mindset. And turbo-charge our defence production and defence spending," he said. 

"No, we are not at war. But we are certainly not at peace either. With all this, our deterrence is good – for now. But it’s tomorrow I’m worried about," he noted. 

Looking ahead, Rutte emphasised that NATO is insufficiently prepared for the risks it will face in the next 4-5 years.

Earlier, Rutte cautioned the US-led transatlantic alliance that it is not fully prepared for the threats Russia will pose in the coming years. He called for a shift to a wartime mentality, which would require significantly increased defence spending. 

Rutte emphasised that future defence budgets would need to surpass the current NATO target of 2 per cent of GDP. 

“Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us,” Rutte said in a speech in Brussels. “We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years,” the NATO secretary-general warned, adding: “It is time to shift to a wartime mindset, and turbocharge our defence production and defence spending." 

By Naila Huseynova