NATO chief Mark Rutte has issued a stark warning to Western nations, urging them to prepare for war “like our grandparents endured”. Speaking at a security conference in Berlin, Rutte said the UK and other allies must rapidly increase defence spending, warning that Russia is positioning the West as its next strategic target.
“We are Russia‘s next target. I fear that too many are quietly complacent,” he said. “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. Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe. And we must be prepared.”
Rutte suggested that Russia could confront NATO directly within the next five years, calling his warning a realistic assessment rather than political scaremongering. His comments come amid heightened tensions, including Russia’s reaction to the death of British paratrooper Lance Corporal George Hooley in Ukraine. Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia’s foreign ministry, declared that any European servicemen in Ukraine would be treated as legitimate targets.
The situation has escalated further as NATO scrambled fighter jets this week following one of the biggest Russian attacks of the war. Ukraine’s Air Force said Moscow launched 653 drones and 53 hypersonic and ballistic missiles across 60 waves of overnight airstrikes, sparking explosions and fires across multiple cities. Poland said its Air Force scrambled jets as “a preventive measure” due to the scale of the assault.
In response to rising security fears, France has announced plans to expand its National Service, with volunteers set for ten-month deployments for a £9000 pay package. France’s top general recently warned that the country must be prepared to “lose our children” as the threat of a wider conflict grows.
Rutte also addressed recent criticism from the United States after a report signed by former President Donald Trump depicted Europe as being at risk of “civilisational erasure”, criticising its policies on migration and free speech. In an interview with Politico, Trump described Europe as “decaying” and its leaders as “weak”.
Rutte rejected the sentiment, insisting that American security is directly tied to a strong Europe “even if Trump doesn’t know it”. UK Labour MP Peter Kyle also dismissed the remarks, saying, “President Trump has for a long time had a sort of bee in his bonnet, as you say, about Europe and also about the world as it is. He sees the world differently from his predecessors. That is not new.”
Kyle added that despite political rhetoric, American investment tells another story. “America is speaking with its investment when it comes to Britain at the moment. They are investing heavily into Britain, in AI, into lots of different sectors across the UK. And this isn’t just money that’s going into London.”
Meanwhile, efforts to broker a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine continue. Trump held a call with the leaders of France, the UK, and Germany on Wednesday, following Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s meetings in London earlier in the week. The European leaders requested an in-person summit this weekend, but Trump said he would only attend if there was genuine progress to be made, saying, “We want to know some things before a meeting. We don’t want to waste time.”