Paying for the military instead of “pensions, health care and social security” may be painful, but preventing war is better than fighting, one NATO leader warned, as Russia vastly outnumbers Europe in military equipment. They say it's much cheaper.
Former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who was elected this year as NATO Secretary-General, spoke at a Carnegie Endowment for International Peace meeting in Brussels, urging Canada and European Union members to do more to prevent conflict by leaving NATO. I called on them to put in their effort. A post-Cold War mindset where military spending and defense capabilities decline.
This is based on the lesson of a safe world that no longer exists, Rutte said, telling Europeans they now need to “shift to a wartime mindset.” The NATO SG said Russia was trying to “crush our freedoms and way of life,” citing recent acts of sabotage against European countries by Russian operatives, adding that “hostilities against Allied nations are real and accelerating.” “These attacks are not just isolated incidents.” . These are the results of an organized campaign to destabilize our society and discourage us from supporting Ukraine. ”
Rutte said that by using these unconventional “hybrid warfare” attacks against Europe, Russia is bypassing NATO's traditional defenses and “bringing the front line to our front door.” Even inside our homes. ”
Rutte said that although the security situation was the worst he had ever seen, NATO and Europe were not yet at war, but “we are by no means at peace either.” Although there is currently no “imminent threat” to the alliance as it has an effective military deterrent, NATO leaders nevertheless appealed for further efforts to maintain deterrence against tomorrow's threats. He said it is currently being rolled out. Ukrainian battlefield.
“The Ukrainians are fighting a swarm of Russian drones, and that's what we need to prepare for,” Rutte told the Carnegie conference.
Mr Rutte has been outspoken about the fact that strengthening NATO's military will be costly, but insists it is a worthwhile investment if it prevents future wars and will save trillions of dollars. claimed to cost billions of dollars. “We know that if we spend more on defense, we will spend less on other priorities. But it's only slightly less. On average, European countries spend up to a quarter of their national income,” he said. 1 is spent lightly on pensions, health care, and social security. We need only a fraction of that money to further strengthen our defenses and maintain our way of life.
The remarks echoed others made by Admiral Rob Bauer, Rutte's colleague and the top official at NATO headquarters, who said he would refrain from some “luxuries” to preserve freedom and conflict-free conditions. He also talked about the importance of a democratic nation that agrees with the above. Him: “If we strengthen deterrence and increase support for Ukraine, we will have less money to spend on other things. It will take away some of our luxuries and we will have to make sacrifices.”
NATO Secretary-General Rutte emphasized the thrust of this week's speech, saying, “Freedom does not come for free.”
