NATO Secretary General Calls for Increased Defence Spending to Deter Russian Threat

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called on European Allies and Canada to significantly increase their defence spending in the coming years, warning that current investment levels are not sufficient to deter a potential Russian attack before the end of the decade.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Rutte highlighted the substantial progress made in 2024, with European NATO Allies and Canada increasing their defence budgets by nearly 20% year-on-year.

“In 2024, NATO Allies in Europe and Canada invested $485 billion (€467.5 billion) in defence, a nearly 20% increase compared with 2023,” he stated. “Two-thirds of Allies are now spending at least 2% of their GDP on defence, and I expect even more to meet or exceed this target in 2025.”

However, Rutte made it clear that this is not enough. “If we stick to 2%, we cannot defend ourselves in four or five years. The capability gaps are simply too big.” He stressed that a significant increase—“considerably north of 3%”—will be required to ensure NATO’s ability to deter and defend.

Upcoming NATO and EU Decisions on Defence Investment

Defence ministers from NATO’s 32 member states will convene in Brussels on Thursday, their first meeting since the inauguration of the new U.S. administration. Support for Ukraine and increased defence spending will be at the top of the agenda.

At NATO’s June summit in The Hague, leaders are expected to agree on new military capability targets and a revised spending threshold. While former U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested a 5% target, Rutte has previously indicated that a 4% level may be necessary, while the UK has signaled its intention to reach 3%.

EU leaders are also weighing options to close an estimated €500 billion defence funding gap over the next decade. Proposals include loosening the bloc’s fiscal rules to exclude defence spending from national budget calculations and issuing common Eurobonds to finance joint defence projects. A White Paper on European defence investment will be released on March 19, ahead of final decisions at the EU summit in June, which will take place immediately after NATO’s gathering.

Addressing the Russian Threat

Rutte also responded to a recent Danish intelligence report warning that Russia could be capable of launching a full-scale war against European NATO members before 2030 if U.S. support for the Alliance weakens.

“If Russia attacks, the reaction will be devastating,” Rutte stated. “Putin will lose. He knows this. Our deterrence and defence remain very strong.”

Despite this, Rutte acknowledged that Russia is currently outspending and outproducing European NATO members in military capabilities, reinforcing the urgent need for increased investment.

“We need to take those decisions this year,” he warned. “NATO Allies must continue supporting Ukraine, increase defence spending, and ramp up military production. There is no time to wait.”