Russia’s economy has been on a war footing for more than three years now – its factories churn out ever more supplies of drones, missiles and artillery shells.
According to a recent report by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Russia has been producing each month around 150 tanks, 550 infantry fighting vehicles, 120 Lancet drones and more than 50 artillery pieces.
The UK, and most of its Western allies, are simply not anywhere near this point.
Analysts say it would take years for Western Europe’s factories to come close to matching Russia’s mass-production of weapons.
France and Germany have both recently moved to revive a system of voluntary military service for 18-year-olds.
So-called “hybrid” or “grey-zone” warfare, which includes events that are often deniable, such as cyber-attacks, disinformation and the alleged launching of drones close to airports and military bases in Nato countries, have been ramping up this year.
But worrying as these are, they pale compared to the crisis that would be triggered by a Russian military attack on a Nato country, especially if it involved seizing territory and people being killed.
Nato includes 30 European countries – as well as Canada and the US, the alliance’s most-powerful military member.
Under pressure from Trump, its members have pledged to increase military spending.
“Nato’s own defences can hold for now,” Rutte warned in Berlin, but conflict was “next door” to Europe and he feared “too many are quietly complacent, and too many don’t feel the urgency, too many believe that time is on our side.
“Allied defence spending and production must rise rapidly, our armed forces must have what they need to keep us safe,” the Nato chief said.
