NATO states need to increase air defense capabilities by 400% – Rutte
NATO members should increase their air defense capabilities by 400%, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. He will make a statement to this effect on June 9 at the Chatham House think tank in London, according to the agency Reuters.
Strengthening air defense is one of the priorities of the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague in late June.
In his speech, Rutte will argue that in order for NATO to maintain a credible deterrence and defense, the Alliance needs a "400% increase in air and missile defense".
"We see in Ukraine how Russia is using terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies," he will say, according to excerpts of his speech provided by his office.
"The fact is that we need a quantum leap in our collective defense. The fact is that we need to have more forces and capabilities to fully implement our defense plans. The fact is that the danger will not disappear even after the end of the war in Ukraine," he said in his speech.
- On January 23, 2025, Trump said he intends to ask NATO countries to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
- On January 27, the FT reported that Lithuania and Estonia pledged to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP after pressure from Trump.
- On May 26, Rutte expressed hope that Allies would agree to a common defense spending target of 5% of GDP.
