Nato chief warns Europe ‘war with Russia is at our door’ as he tells allies to prepare for action NOW
Western nations have been warned they must prepare to face war on the scale “our grandparents and great-grandparents endured” in the wake of the threat from Russia.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte delivered the stark warning in Berlin on Thursday, urging European allies to end their “quiet complacency”.
The former Dutch Prime Minister told a security conference the alliance’s 32 member states, including the UK, must dramatically increase their military preparedness to deter Russian aggression.
“We are Russia’s next target,” Mr Rutte declared. “I fear that too many are quietly complacent. Too many don’t feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not.
“The time for action is now.
“Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe. And we must be prepared.”
Me Rutte issued a chilling assessment of the timeline facing European nations, suggesting Moscow could possess the military capability to strike Nato territory within the next five years.
“Nato’s own defences can hold for now, but with its economy dedicated to war, Russia could be ready to use military force against Nato within five years,” he warned.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned Europe ‘war with Russia is at our door’
|
REUTERS
The Nato chief argued that alliance members must adopt a “wartime mindset” and dismissed any sense of satisfaction over recent commitments to boost military spending to five per cent of GDP by 2035.
“This is not the time for self-congratulation,” Mr Rutte stated, accusing Russia of becoming “even more brazen, reckless and ruthless towards NATO and towards Ukraine.”
He invoked Cold War rhetoric, noting: “During the cold war, President Reagan warned about the aggressive impulses of an evil empire. Today, President Putin is in the empire building business again.”
Mr Rutte underscored the gravity of the threat by highlighting the devastating human cost Russia has already inflicted upon its own forces, claiming more than one million Russian troops have perished since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
‘Russia could be ready to use military force against Nato within five years,’ Mr Rutter declared
|
GETTY
He asked: “Putin is paying for his pride with the blood of his own people,” the Nato chief said. “And if he is prepared to sacrifice ordinary Russians in this way, what is he prepared to do to us?”
The stark question was intended to jolt European leaders into recognising that a Russian president willing to accept such catastrophic losses among his own citizens would show even less restraint when confronting Nato nations.
The Nato chief also pointed to Beijing’s crucial role in sustaining Moscow’s military campaign, describing China as Russia’s “lifeline” in the conflict.
“Without China’s support, Russia could not continue to wage this war,” he stated.
Russian President Putin was described as being ‘in the empire building business’
|
GETTY
“When civilians die in Kyiv or Kharkiv, Chinese technology is often inside the weapons that kill them,” the Nato General Secretary informed
Mr Rutte’s warning came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held urgent discussions with leaders and officials from roughly 30 nations supporting Kyiv’s efforts to secure favourable terms for ending the conflict.
The leaders of Germany, Britain and France were among those expected to participate in the meeting via video link, with European governments seeking to influence peace negotiations they consider vital to their own security.
European leaders described the talks as being at “a critical moment” in a statement issued on Wednesday.
