NATO Chief Warns Russia Will Continue Menacing European Security
Even if Kyiv and Moscow hammer out a ceasefire agreement, "Russia will remain a long-term threat for a long time to come," Rutte told media during a Brussels interview that laid bare the alliance's mounting security concerns.
The NATO chief delivered blunt assessments on defense expenditures, declaring Spain must dramatically exceed its current budget projections to meet evolving threats. While Madrid insists its 2.1% GDP allocation satisfies alliance requirements, Rutte dismissed those calculations as inadequate.
"Spain will soon see that it also needs to spend 3.4% to 3.6%," he said, characterizing the previous 2% target as merely a "rough estimate" no longer sufficient for modern warfare realities.
Rutte delivered forceful endorsements of US President Donald Trump, whose pressure campaign on allied military spending he credited with transforming NATO's defensive capabilities.
"Yes, I like the guy," he said. "He is doing exactly what we need him to do."
The secretary general praised Trump's diplomatic initiatives to unlock stalled Ukraine negotiations. Though acknowledging the current peace framework "contains solid elements and others that need more work," Rutte characterized it as viable groundwork for continued talks.
"I completely share Trump's vision: this carnage must stop," Rutte said, noting Russian forces are hemorrhaging personnel—"about 20,000 soldiers every month"—while capturing negligible territorial gains.
Addressing Ukraine's prospective NATO membership, Rutte flatly rejected any Russian influence over the decision.
"Russia has neither a vote nor a veto over who can be a member of NATO," he said, though emphasizing unanimous allied consent remains mandatory. Until membership becomes feasible, Ukraine requires "robust security guarantees," he argued.
Rutte also dismantled assumptions that geographically distant nations face diminished danger from Russian aggression. "There are five minutes between Vilnius and Valencia," he warned, referencing advanced Russian missile flight times. "We're all on the eastern flank."
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