Europe must urgently awaken from its slumber and spend “much more” on its defense, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned today, stating that the continent is unprepared for the threat of war with Russia.

“We are not ready for what is coming our way in four or five years,” the NATO chief said, adding: “It’s time to adopt a wartime mindset, increase our defense production, and expand our defense spending.”

In his keynote speech, Rutte called for public support and a spirit of sacrifice to “prevent the next great war on NATO soil.”

This official plea from the leader of the Atlantic Alliance comes at a time when Ukrainian forces are retreating on the battlefield against the larger and better-equipped Russian army. The war in Ukraine is causing “more than 10,000 deaths and injuries on both sides every week,” he added.

“The danger is closing in on us rapidly,” the NATO Secretary General warned, referring to the Russian threat on the European continent.

“What is happening in Ukraine can happen here too,” insisted the former Dutch Prime Minister. Even if, he added, there is no immediate military threat against NATO, that does not prevent Russia from preparing for “a long-term confrontation with Ukraine and with us,” the 32 NATO countries.

“The Russian economy is in a wartime state,” while in Europe, nations are reluctant to spend more to strengthen their defense capabilities, he noted.

And beyond Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea are “working hard to weaken North America and Europe,” the NATO Secretary General emphasized. “We need to be clear about China’s ambitions as it significantly builds up its forces, including its nuclear weapons, without limits and with a lack of transparency,” he warned.

In a world where “security is at its worst in my lifetime,” “we are not where we should be,” the head of the Atlantic Alliance declared.

Europe’s defense industry is “too small, too slow, and too fragmented,” he explained, calling on governments, industry, and the public to take a leap of faith.

NATO countries are spending “far less” on defense than they did during the Cold War when over 3% of GDP was allocated to defense.

In 2023, the Allies decided to raise military spending to 2% of GDP. However, only 23 of them have reached this threshold. “I can tell you we will need much more than 2%,” Rutte stressed.

Some NATO countries are calling for this threshold to be increased to 3%, but they remain divided, and no decision has been made yet.

Every additional percentage point of GDP represents approximately 200 billion euros more for EU countries, 23 of which are also NATO members, according to the new European Defense Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.

This effort comes with a cost, which entails sacrifices, explained the NATO Secretary General. “Today, I am appealing for your support,” he said. “I know that spending more on defense means spending less on other priorities, but it’s only slightly less,” he said, suggesting that “a small portion” of social spending be redirected to achieve this.

“To protect our freedom (…) your politicians need to hear you,” he emphasized. “Tell them you are willing to make sacrifices today so we can remain safe tomorrow.”

“Tell them they need to spend more on defense so we can continue to live peacefully.”

“If we don’t collectively spend more now to prevent war, we will pay a much, much, much higher price later by waging war,” the NATO Secretary General concluded.