NATO Will Be More Lethal, Says Rutte

10 June 20252 weeks babelfish

What NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in his speech at Chatham House

“I am quite sure that most of you have not read or heard a single passage of the speech given yesterday by the Secretary General of NATO at Chatham House. Now a good Italian singer might reply: “They are just words”. But they are not. Mark Rutte's are slaps in the face, attempts to resuscitate a Western public opinion largely incapable of emerging from the sweet lethargy of the last decades of peace. Not to mention many of its leaders, bogged down in short-term calculations, with the (real) risk of condemning the countries they govern to arrive out of breath at the foot of the climb. Which one? The one that can be translated with the word “war”. For what it's worth, I have translated his speech in full. Happy reading”. ( Dario D'Angelo on X )

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“In just two weeks, I will chair the NATO Summit of Allied Leaders in The Hague. And this Summit will transform our Alliance.

We will build a better NATO. A stronger, fairer, more lethal NATO. To continue to keep our people safe and our adversaries at bay.

Because of Russia, war has returned to Europe. We also face the threat of terrorism. And fierce global competition. Russia has allied itself with China, North Korea and Iran.

They are expanding their armies and capabilities. Putin’s war machine is accelerating – not slowing. Russia is rebuilding its forces with Chinese technology and producing weapons faster than we expected.

In terms of ammunition, Russia produces in three months what the entire NATO produces in a year. And its defense industrial base is expected to churn out 1,500 tanks, 3,000 armored vehicles and 200 Iskander missiles this year.

Russia may be ready to use military force against NATO within five years.

Five years.

Let's not kid ourselves: we're all on the eastern flank now.

The new generation of Russian missiles travels at many times the speed of sound. The distance between European capitals is measured in minutes. There is no longer East or West – there is only NATO.

China is also modernizing and expanding its military at a dizzying pace. It already has the world’s largest navy. And its naval force is expected to grow to 435 ships by 2030. China is also expanding its nuclear arsenal. And it aims to have more than 1,000 operational nuclear warheads, also by 2030.

Those who oppose freedom and democracy are entrenching themselves. They are preparing for a long-term struggle. And they are seeking to dominate and divide us. In 1936, Winston Churchill asked this question during a debate in the House of Commons: “Will there be time to put our defence in order? (…) Will there be time to make these necessary efforts, or will the terrible words ‘too late’ be recorded?”

This is also the question for NATO today. History teaches us that to preserve peace, we must prepare for war. Daydreams will not keep us safe. We cannot ignore danger. Hope is not a strategy. NATO must become a stronger, fairer, and more lethal Alliance.

A stronger NATO means spending much more on our defense. All Allies will reach the initial goal of spending 2% of GDP on defense this year. That was a commitment made back in 2014. We now have a concrete plan for the future. We know what we need. And we know what to do. At The Hague Summit, I expect Allied leaders to agree to spend 5% of GDP on defense. That will be a NATO commitment. And a defining moment for the Alliance.

The new spending plan is divided into two parts:
– 3.5% will be invested in basic military requirements.
– The remainder will go to security and defense investments, including infrastructure and industrial capacity.

The 5% is not a random figure: it is based on concrete facts. The fact is that we need a qualitative leap in our collective defense. The fact is that we need more forces and capabilities to fully realize our defense plans. The fact is that the danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends.

Our decisions are guided by NATO operational plans and capability goals. These define what Allies must deliver. And last week NATO Defence Ministers agreed ambitious new goals.

The details are classified, but we need:

A 400% increase in air and missile defense. We see in Ukraine how Russia sows terror from the sky. We will therefore strengthen the shield that protects our skies.
Thousands more armored vehicles and tanks.
Millions more artillery shells.
Double logistics, medical support, transportation and supply capacities.

Allies will invest in more warships and aircraft. Just to give one example, U.S. Allies will buy at least 700 F-35 fighters in total. We will also invest in more drones and long-range missile systems. And we will increase investment in space and cyber capabilities. It is clear: if we do not invest more, our collective defense is not credible. Spending more is not to please anyone. It is to protect a billion people.

The Allies will also make broader investments in security, including infrastructure. Roads, railways and ports are as important as tanks, fighters and warships. Civilian networks are needed to support military mobility. To get the right forces to the right place at the right time.

The home front and the military front now coincide. War is no longer fought at a distance: society and the armed forces are united.

We will invest more in civil preparedness, so that our societies are ready for a day we pray will never come.

NATO is working around the clock to prevent that day from coming.

We will also increase spending to defend ourselves from cyberattacks, sabotage and other threats. And broader investments must include strengthening our defense industrial base. It is clear that, across the Alliance, we are not producing enough.

Increasing defence investment also means increasing production. More demand must mean more supply – not higher prices. It also means producing at scale and speed. We need raw industrial capacity, like that of Sheffield Forgemasters, which I visited this morning with UK Defence Minister John Healey.

We need cheaper electricity, access to critical minerals, and more engineering know-how. Otherwise, the commitment to spend 5% of GDP will be lost in production costs, rather than invested in defense. We will therefore expand the industrial base across the Alliance. We will support increased production, remove barriers to cooperation, and exploit the most advanced technologies.

To quote former Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson: “I want NATO to build its future in the white heat of innovation.”

To stay ahead of our adversaries, we must develop and adopt new technologies. They can be cheaper and more effective than traditional heavy weapons. On the ground in Ukraine, $400 drones used well are taking down $2 million Russian tanks. More spending and more production means effective deterrence, economic growth, and new jobs. The Hague Summit will send a clear signal to industry. And industry will have to rise to the challenge.

Making NATO stronger means investing and producing more. Making NATO fairer means rebalancing the burden of security. Every Ally must do their part. We all benefit from the protection of the transatlantic Alliance. And it is essential that every NATO member contributes equally. For too long, America has carried too much of the burden. America's Allies have broad shoulders, and Europe and Canada will do more for our common security. With the full support of America's firm commitment to NATO.

And, in addition to being stronger and fairer, NATO will be more lethal. Let us be clear: we will always be a defensive Alliance.

Being more lethal means strengthening our deterrence and defensive posture. Giving our military what it needs to protect us. And demonstrating to any aggressor that we can—and will—strike harder. With our military might and the determination to use it if necessary, no one should even think about attacking us.

President Putin does not act like someone interested in peace. Russia continues to strike civilian targets in Ukraine, day and night. Violence for its own sake. We fully support President Trump’s efforts to stop the bloodshed. The Ukrainian people deserve a just and lasting peace. NATO’s support for Ukraine continues – practical and political. Not to prolong the war, but to enable Ukraine to defend itself today and prevent future aggression. NATO stands with Ukraine, now and in the challenges ahead.

In an age of uncertainty, the transatlantic bond is essential. And the enduring commitment of all Allies to Article 5 – that an attack on one is an attack on all – is a powerful message.

We will defend ourselves against any threat, from whatever direction it comes.

History has shown that North America and Europe, together, are a winning combination. The summit will be held at Churchillplein – Churchill Square. Its bulldog spirit lives on today in NATO. We have the confidence, commitment and courage to do whatever it takes to defend our way of life. There are no second chances when it comes to security. And so, in The Hague, we will deliver.

Friends can be frank with each other. And we will have to make difficult decisions. But let's not lose sight of what's at stake: the safety of a billion people, on both sides of the Atlantic.

Together, we will secure peace through strength.

Together, we will make the Alliance stronger, fairer, and more lethal.

And together, we will build a better NATO.”

(Excerpt from the profile X of journalist Dario D'Angelo , curator of an independent blog )

This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/spazio-e-difesa/mark-rutte-nato-discorso-chatham-house/ on Tue, 10 Jun 2025 12:33:25 +0000.