“The Russian threat is real and not distant.”
This was the warning issued by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during a media conference from Portugal.
Rutte emphasized that NATO member countries need to increase defense spending as a means to address future challenges.
“The 2% defense spending target, set a decade ago, will not be sufficient to meet the challenges of tomorrow. The threat from Russia may seem distant, but let me assure you, it is not. Just yesterday, we saw another incident in the Baltic Sea involving the disruption of a cable connecting Latvia and Sweden.”
“The good news is that through the Baltic Sentry Mission, NATO ships and aircraft are working alongside our allies there, enabling a coordinated, rapid response. NATO is strong today, but to keep NATO strong, we must continue to adapt, and to ensure our security in the future, we must also increase our efforts now and spend more on our defense,” Rutte said.
