The chief of NATO cautioned that the military alliance’s members were unprepared for the possibility of a future fight with Russia, saying it was necessary to “shift to a wartime mindset.”
Moscow was “preparing for long-term confrontation” with the West, according to Secretary General Mark Rutte, who called the current state of security “the worst” in his life.
In his first significant speech since taking office as secretary-general in October, he declared, “We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years,” and he urged members to “turbocharge” their defense spending.
He has previously implied that the US might not defend NATO partners that were not spending enough on defense, and his remarks came only weeks before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
