Nato chief warns Russia of 'devastating' response to any aggression

Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte warns Russia against attacking any ally, calls Moscow the biggest threat, and unveils historic defence spending plans ahead of the 2025 summit

North Atlantic Treaty Organization (Nato) Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Monday issued a stern warning to Russia, declaring that the alliance’s response to any attack on a member state would be “devastating”.

 

Speaking ahead of the 2025 Nato Summit, Rutte said, “We are committed to defending every inch of allied territory, should any potential adversary make the mistake of attacking any ally.”

 

He added, “While Nato is and will remain a defensive alliance—there should be no doubt about our ability and resolve to protect our nations and respond with resounding force should we be attacked.”

 

The two-day summit is scheduled to take place on Tuesday and Wednesday in The Hague.

 

Russia is Nato’s most serious threat, says Rutte

 

Rutte’s remarks come at what he described as “a truly historic moment” of global insecurity. He identified the Russian Federation as “the most significant and direct threat facing this alliance” and accused Moscow of continuing its war in Ukraine “with the support of North Korea, Iran, and China, as well as Belarus”.

 

Nato reaffirms stance on Iran’s nuclear programme

 

Turning to Iran, Rutte reiterated the alliance’s long-standing stance: “Allies have long agreed that Iran must not develop a nuclear weapon. They have repeatedly urged Iran to meet its obligations under the non-proliferation treaty.”

 

Historic defence spending and capability goals on summit agenda

 

The Secretary-General also outlined a bold new defence investment plan, which includes raising Nato’s spending benchmark to 5 per cent of GDP. He called the proposal “a quantum leap that is ambitious, historic, and fundamental to securing our future”.

 

Rutte revealed that Nato allies had already agreed on an “ambitious new set of capability targets”, which include a fivefold increase in air defence systems, deployment of thousands of tanks and armoured vehicles, and the production of millions of rounds of artillery ammunition.

 

Urgent call to scale defence manufacturing

 

Rutte underscored the urgent need to expand defence manufacturing to meet rising demand. “There is not nearly enough supply to meet our increased demand,” he warned. “We need industry to respond, and we need industry to respond quickly.”