NATO chief warns alliance may not defend itself with 2% spending

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned Thursday that the alliance would be unable to adequately defend itself within the next four to five years if members maintain the current 2% defense spending level.

Speaking at a panel discussion during the World Economic Forum, Rutte underscored the pressing need for increased investments and industrial production across member states.

“Partly, maybe to a large extent, thanks to U.S. President Donald Trump during his first term in 2017, European NATO countries have seen this upturn in spending,” Rutte said, reflecting on Trump’s push for greater financial contributions from European allies.

Rutte noted Trump’s concerns about the U.S. carrying a disproportionate defense burden while European nations benefited economically by underfunding their military commitments.

“He felt that basically the U.S. was getting a bad deal and that Europe was basically funding its social model and its healthcare system, etc., and its pension system by underfunding in defense,” Rutte explained.

The NATO chief also criticized the alliance’s industrial production, highlighting disparities compared to China and Russia. “We have to ramp up industry production because, at the moment, we are not doing it,” he said, adding, “China is producing six times faster industrial output now than the US. NATO collectively is not able to defend itself in four or five years if you stick to the 2%.”

Rutte pointed out that Russia could produce in three months what NATO takes an entire year to manufacture, emphasizing the alliance’s urgent need to modernize and innovate. “We do not innovate enough. We do not buy collectively enough. We are not getting into big contracts with industry,” he said.

Rutte claims Chinese products are of at least US-level quality

China’s advancements in production quality were also raised as a concern. “China’s products are much better than 20 years ago, and much better than US products, or at least at the same level,” Rutte observed.

Regarding NATO’s support for Ukraine, Rutte expressed concerns about the financial burden and dependence on U.S. supplies. “If this new Trump administration is willing to keep on supplying

Ukraine from its defense industrial base, the bill will be paid by the Europeans… We have to be willing to do that because, at this moment, they are paying more than the Europeans,” he warned.

Rutte acknowledged Trump’s assertion that the conflict in Ukraine is a “worldwide conflict” but stressed its proximity to Europe. “Yes, but still, Ukraine is closer to Europe than to the U.S.” he said.