NATO chief warns European allies they could be Russia’s next target

Mark Rutte called on European countries to increase their defence spending. (Michael Kappeler/picture-alliance/dpa/AP via CNN Newsource)

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned Thursday that members of the alliance could be “Russia’s next target,” calling for a rapid rise in defence spending to prevent a war similar to those seen by past generations.

Rutte’s comments, in a speech at the Munich Security Conference in Berlin, came as European leaders discussed a peace proposal designed to end Russia’s years-long war in Ukraine against a backdrop of growing U.S. pressure.

“We need to be ready because conflicts … are no longer fought at arm’s length. Conflict is at our door,” he said.

“Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured.”

However, he added, if NATO “delivers on our commitments, this is a tragedy we can prevent.”

Rutte cautioned that “Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years.”

“Too many are quietly complacent. … Too many believe time is on our side. It is not,” he warned. “The time for action is now. Allied defense spending and production must rise rapidly.”

In June, NATO members agreed to increase their defence spending targets to five per cent of their gross domestic product by 2035, more than double the current two per cent target and in line with the type of increase U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded for years.

While Rutte acknowledged that “to some extent in Europe, we’ll have to take more care of our own defence,” he also sought to highlight the U.S. commitment to NATO. He made the comments after the Trump administration on Friday released its National Security Strategy, which adopted an unprecedentedly confrontational posture toward Europe.

“It’s crucial we keep the transatlantic bond as it is today,” he said, pointing out that “you cannot defend the U.S. without a safe Atlantic, and you need NATO to keep the Atlantic safe.”

Rutte praised Trump for kick-starting talks on Russia and Ukraine, telling CNN’s Fred Pleitgen that the U.S. president was “the only one who could break the deadlock with (Russian President Vladimir) Putin.”

Trump has expressed impatience to reach a deal in recent weeks, while the Europeans have appeared more cautious, seeking both guarantees over security and further discussions on any territorial concessions.

“There have to be security guarantees (for Ukraine) in place of such a quality and level that Putin knows if he tries again the reaction will be devastating,” Rutte said.

“We all know there will be a delicate, difficult discussion about territory, which in the end only the Ukrainians can decide about,” he added.

Meanwhile, Russia called on the United Kingdom to “admit” what a British soldier who died in Ukraine was doing there, implying without evidence that British forces were performing more than their publicly disclosed duties in the country.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence said Wednesday that the soldier died “following a tragic accident whilst observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability, away from the front lines.”

By Issy Ronald, CNN