NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte welcomed a historic increase in European defense spending and called for continued efforts to strengthen military readiness amid growing global threats.
“We are literally seeing hundreds of billions of euros rolling in,” Rutte said at the start of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels.
“This is probably the largest increase in defense spending here on the European side of NATO since the end of the Cold War. But we still need more,” he added.
The ministerial meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels marked the first participation of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in discussions aimed at increasing defense investment, industrial production and support for Ukraine.
“We are really focused on how to defend NATO territory from the Russians, our long-term threat, which will be present even after, I hope, a deal is reached on Ukraine,” Rutte said.
Regarding Washington’s role, Rutte dismissed doubts about the U.S.’s reliability.
“There is a clear commitment from the US, a clear expectation that we will match spending here on the European side of NATO,” he said.
Welcoming the Trump administration’s efforts to broker peace in Ukraine, the NATO chief said the US had broken the ice.
“They are working with the Russians and the Ukrainians to reach a peace agreement, which should be durable and long-lasting,” he said.
Rutte stressed the priority importance of the security of the Arctic region and stability in the Western Balkans.
