NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that the alliance must adopt a “wartime mindset” and significantly boost defense spending to counter growing threats from Russia and China.

In his first Brussels speech as NATO chief, Rutte emphasized that the current 2% GDP defense spending target is insufficient, urging members to invest “considerably more” to prepare for long-term confrontation.

He criticized decades of defense cuts post-Cold War, which he says left NATO vulnerable, and highlighted the sharp contrast with Russia’s defense spending, now over 6% of its GDP.

Rutte called for unity among member nations, warning against barriers that hinder cooperation, and encouraged innovation in the defense sector.

He also cautioned about China’s military expansion and the destabilizing impacts of cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns, The U.S. Sun has reported.

While NATO collectively meets the 2% minimum, a third of its members still fall short, and Rutte warned that the alliance is unprepared for future challenges.

Written by B.C. Begley