NATO chief urges 400% rise in alliance's air defense

LONDON (AFP) — NATO head Mark Rutte was on Monday to urge a “quantum leap” in defense capabilities including a “400% increase” in air and missile defense to shield the alliance against Russia.

“We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies,” NATO Secretary General Rutte was to say in a speech to the Chatham House think tank in London, according to comments released in a statement.

To maintain credible deterrence and defense, NATO needs “a 400% increase in air and missile defense.”

“The fact is, we need a quantum leap in our collective defense,” he was to say.

Rutte will meet U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday ahead of his speech, their second Downing Street talks since the Labour leader came into power in July 2024.

Rutte’s comments come ahead of a NATO summit in the Netherlands this month.

But they were swiftly condemned by Moscow, which denounced NATO as “an instrument of aggression” ahead of Rutte’s speech.

NATO “is demonstrating itself as an instrument of aggression and confrontation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in Moscow.

U.S. President Donald Trump is pressing alliance members to announce a major boost in their military budgets.

He is pushing NATO members to increase their defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product, up from the current target of 2%.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said last week in Brussels that the allies were close to an agreement on the 5% target, which could be formalized at the summit in The Hague.

“This alliance, we believe, in a matter of weeks, will be committing to 5% — 3.5% in hard military and 1.5% in infrastructure and defense-related activities,” Hegseth said on Thursday. “That combination constitutes a real commitment, and we think every country can step up.”

‘Stronger, fairer alliance’

NATO members have been scrambling to bolster their defense capabilities since Russia launched its war against Ukraine in February 2022.

“Danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends,” Rutte was to say on Monday. “We must have more forces and capabilities to implement our defense plans in full.”

“Our militaries also need thousands more armored vehicles and tanks, millions more artillery shells.”

Britain announced plans last week to build up to 12 nuclear-powered attack submarines and six munitions factories to rearm the country in response to what it said were threats from Russia.

Earlier this year, Starmer’s government pledged to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, but has not yet set a firm timeline for further hikes.

“NATO has to become a stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance,” Rutte will add.

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By Agence France-Presse