NATO Chief Urges Defense Spending Boost Against Russian Threat

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urged European allies on Thursday to ramp up defense spending and weapons production immediately, warning that Russia poses an imminent threat to the continent and could launch military action against the alliance within five years. Speaking at a security conference in Berlin, Rutte described the situation as a potential conflict on the scale endured by previous generations, emphasizing that complacency among NATO members risks catastrophe.

"We are Russia's next target," 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." He added, "Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe. And we must be prepared."

Rutte's remarks came amid ongoing efforts to resolve Russia's invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year. He proposed testing Russian President Vladimir Putin's commitment to peace by advancing a joint U.S.-European plan to end the conflict. According to Rutte, U.S. President Donald Trump is uniquely positioned to bring Putin to negotiations, given his stated desire to halt the bloodshed. Ukrainian...