Nato must switch to ‘wartime mindset’, warns secretary general

The head of Nato has said it is time to “shift to a wartime mindset”, as he warned the military alliance’s members were not prepared for the threat of a future conflict with Russia.

Secretary general Mark Rutte said Moscow was “preparing for long-term confrontation” with the West, describing the current security situation as “the worst” in his lifetime.

“We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years,” he said in his first major speech since becoming secretary general in October, and urged members to “turbocharge” their defence spending.

His comments come weeks before president-elect Donald Trump takes office, having previously suggested the US would not protect Nato allies that were failing to spend enough on defence.

Nato members have pledged to spend at least 2% of the value of their economies – measured by GDP – on defence per year by 2024.

But speaking at an event in Brussels, the former Dutch prime minister said “a lot more” would be needed as danger “[moves] towards us at full speed”.

He said European members had spent upwards of 3% of GDP on defence during the Cold War.

“If we don’t spend more together now to prevent war, we will pay a much, much, much higher price later to fight it,” he said.

He added that Russia’s economy was “on a war footing”, with its defence spend by 2025 set to be “a third of Russia’s state budget – and the highest level since the Cold War”.

While the average defence spend for Nato members in Europe and Canada is estimated at 2%, not all meet the target.

Trump said in February that he would “encourage” Russia to attack any Nato member that fails to pay its bills as part of the Western military alliance.

Nato’s 32 members in Europe and North America agree that if one member is attacked, the others should help defend them.

Speaking to the BBC after his speech, Rutte insisted he was not calling for greater defence spending because of Trump.

“He’s right that we have to spend more, absolutely.

“But when you look at the facts, we should not need Donald Trump to decide to spend more on defence. We have to do it, because it is in our interest.”

Nato members also pledged that by 2024 at least 20% of their defence expenditure should go on acquiring and developing military equipment.

But in his address, Rutte warned Russia and China were “racing ahead” and said ramping up defence production was a “top priority”.

The defence industry in Europe is “too small, too fragmented and too slow”, he warned.

“Meanwhile, Russian arms factories are churning out war equipment around the clock.”

He spoke at a critical juncture in the war in Ukraine, where Moscow has been capturing and retaking territory in the east and in Russia’s Kursk region.

“What is happening in Ukraine could happen here, too,” Rutte warned.

“We are not at war. But we are certainly not at peace, either.”

He told the BBC: “He did roll his tanks into Ukraine. Why couldn’t he roll his tanks into the United Kingdom?”