In a speech on Thursday in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that Russian President Vladimir Putin seeks to “wipe Ukraine off the map” and urged the alliance to “shift to a wartime mentality,” calling for increased defense spending and production.
“Russia is preparing for a long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us,” said Stoltenberg, adding that Europeans must brace for the possibility that Russia may deploy “drone armies” across the continent. He emphasized that Putin is “trying to attack our freedom and way of life.”
“We are not ready for what will come in four to five years,” said the former Dutch prime minister, who warned that NATO member states may need to spend more than 2 percent of their GDP on defense. NATO now demands its members allocate at least 2 percent of their GDP to defense.
During the Cold War, Stoltenberg noted, European countries spent more than 3 percent of GDP on defense, a level also requested by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for NATO member states.
Only 23 out of NATO’s 32 members are expected to meet the 2 percent target this year, according to alliance officials.
Stoltenberg also urged NATO governments to increase their military budgets, warning that Russia may spend up to 7% or 8% of its GDP on defense in the coming year.
Russia is already engaged in a “coordinated campaign to destabilize our societies,” Stoltenberg warned, citing recent “hostile actions” taken by Moscow against NATO members, including cyberattacks and assassination attempts.
“The threat is moving toward us at great speed,” he warned. “We will not be secure in the future unless we are prepared to face this danger.” /VOA
