Ukrainian crews training on Leopard 2 tanks in Zagan, Poland. Photo: NATO
EUROPE needs to adopt a wartime mindset — again, NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte says.
He was speaking at a conference organised by the Carnegie Europe think-tank in Brussels, home to NATO last week (Thursday local time).
“The security situation does not look good. It’s undoubtedly the worst in my lifetime and I suspect in yours too,” he told delegates.
“From Brussels, it takes one day to drive to Ukraine. One day – that’s how close the Russian bombs are falling. It’s how close Iranian drones are flying.
“(Russian President) Vladimir Putin is trying to wipe Ukraine off the map,” Rutte claimed.
“For too long, we did not act; Georgia in 2008. Crimea in 2014. Many did not want to believe he would launch all-out war on Ukraine in February 2022.”
He told the conference that the Russian economy is on a war footing; in 2025, its total military spending will be at least 7-8 per cent of GDP, a third of its budget and the highest level since the Cold War.
“What Russia lacks in quality, it makes up for in quantity – with the help of China, Iran and North Korea,” Rutte said.
“This all points in one clear direction: Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation with Ukraine and with us.”
He cited hostile actions against Allied countries such as cyberattacks on both sides of the Atlantic, assassination attempts on British and German soil, explosions at an ammunition warehouse in Czechia, weaponisation of illegal migrants crossing into Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Finland, and jamming of civil flights in the Baltic region.
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On China, Rutte says that NATO, and its European member states, need to be fully aware about that country’s global ambitions.
“China is substantially building up its forces, including its nuclear weapons – with no transparency and no limitations,” he said.
Rutte said China went from 200 warheads in 2020 to an expected 1000+ nuclear weapons by 2030.
“Its space-launches are taking off, Taiwan is being bullied and China pursuing access to our critical infrastructure in ways that could cripple our societies,” he said.
Russia, China, North Korea and Iran are hard at work trying to weaken North America and Europe, he said.
“No, we are not at war but we are certainly not at peace either,” Rutte told the conference delegates.
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