Ukraine's European allies might be Russia's next target: NATO Chief

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on Sunday that members of the alliance could be "Russia's next target," calling for a rapid rise in defense spending to prevent a war similar to those seen by past generations.

Mark Rutte's comments, in a speech at the Munich Security Conference in Berlin, came as European leaders discussed a peace proposal designed to end Russia's years-long war in Ukraine against a backdrop of growing US pressure, reports CNN.

"We need to be ready because conflicts … are no longer fought at arm's length. Conflict is at our door," he said.

"Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured."
However, he added, if NATO "delivers on our commitments, this is a tragedy we can prevent."

Rutte cautioned that "Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years."

"Too many are quietly complacent. … Too many believe time is on our side. It is not," he warned. "The time for action is now. Allied defense spending and production must rise rapidly." In June, NATO members agreed to increase their defense spending targets to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035, more than double the current 2% target and in line with the type of increase US President Donald Trump has demanded for years.

While Rutte acknowledged that "to some extent in Europe, we'll have to take more care of our own defense," he also sought to highlight the US commitment to NATO. He made the comments after the Trump administration on Friday released its National Security Strategy, which adopted an unprecedentedly confrontational posture toward Europe.

"It's crucial we keep the transatlantic bond as it is today," he said, pointing out that "you cannot defend the US without a safe Atlantic, and you need NATO to keep the Atlantic safe."

Rutte praised Trump for kick-starting talks on Russia and Ukraine, telling CNN's Fred Pleitgen that the US President was "the only one who could break
the deadlock with Russian President Vladimir Putin."