Official government budget reports and NATO statistics

NATO Chief Rutte Urges Defense Spending Over 2% GDP, Warns Europe's Security at Risk

Jan 13, 2025, 06:07 PM

NATO's new Secretary General Mark Rutte, in his first address to the European Parliament, called for significant increases in defense spending by member nations, warning that the current target of 2% of GDP is insufficient to ensure security in the coming years. Rutte cautioned that without greater investment, Europeans might "have to learn Russian in four to five years or go to New Zealand." He stated, "We are safe now, but not in four to five years," highlighting that "Europe is not at war but neither at peace." Rutte suggested that if EU countries aspire to establish a defense system independent of NATO, they may need to allocate up to 10% of their GDP to military needs, or face defense costs of up to 3.7% of GDP. He also characterized the European defense industry as "small, fragmented, and slow," urging the need to spend smarter on defense. Rutte stressed the importance of avoiding new barriers between allies in defense industrial efforts and involving non-EU allies in EU defense initiatives. He proposed that increased military budgets could necessitate cuts in health and pension spending. Rutte reaffirmed that the United States will remain in the alliance but underscored that European nations must shoulder more of the defense burden.