NATO’s Rutte says Europe must prepare for ‘scale of war our grandparents’ endured

NATO Chief Mark Rutte urged member countries to do more to prepare for the possibility of large-scale war, warning that Russia may be ready to attack the alliance within five years.
"We are Russia's next target. And we are already in harm's way," Rutte said on Thursday during a speech in Berlin. "Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents and great grandparents endured."
Although he welcomed the decision by NATO members to increase overall military spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product annually by 2035, Rutte argued more needed to be done, saying alliance members must shift to a “wartime mindset."
“This is not the time for self-congratulation," Rutte said. "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."
Rutte warned Russia may be strong enough to attack NATO territory sooner than many assume.
“NATO’s own defenses 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 said.
Rutte underscored his plea for urgency by arguing that Russian President Vladimir Putin had already exhibited a willingness to sacrifice the lives of Russian soldiers in large numbers, claiming that over one million Russian troops had been killed since the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Putin is paying for his pride with the blood of his own people," Rutte said. "And if he is prepared to sacrifice ordinary Russians in this way, what is he prepared to do to us?”
Rutte also said the Kremlin would not be able to sustain its war on Ukraine without help from China.
“China is Russia's lifeline,” he said. “Without China's support, Russia could not continue to wage this war,” he said, “About 80 percent of critical electronic components in Russian drones and other systems are made in China. So, when civilians die in Kyiv or Kharkiv, Chinese technology is often inside the weapons that kill them.”