Mark Rutte to call for dramatic increase in military spending as threat from Russia ‘will not disappear even when war in Ukraine ends’
Russia will remain an imminent threat to Nato even if there is peace in Ukraine and the western alliance has to increase its air and missiles defences by 400% as a result, the head of the organisation will say on Monday.
Mark Rutte, who is visiting the UK and meeting the prime minister, Keir Starmer, is expected to outline why it is necessary for allies to agree a dramatic increase in military spending to 5% of GDP at a summit in The Hague later this month.
At a speech at the Chatham House thinktank in London on Monday afternoon, the Nato secretary general will argue the alliance needs “a quantum leap in our collective defence” and “more forces and capabilities to implement our defence plans in full”.
Critically, Rutte is expected to say “the fact is, danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends”, reflecting a belief that the Kremlin will not demilitarise even it agrees to a ceasefire and eventually a peace with Kyiv.
