NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that larger European defense budgets and an increase in military production are necessary for the security of Europe, reports UNN citing Reuters.
We will need to spend more to secure ourselves. But we also need to quickly ramp up our defense production on both sides of the Atlantic. For too long we have produced too little
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization includes most of Europe, as well as the United States and Canada.
Rutte noted that ammunition, ships, tanks, fighter jets, as well as satellites and drones are needed.
The NATO Secretary General met with many leaders of defense manufacturing companies and urged them to respond to the increased demand.
Supplement
Rutte stated that NATO members will have to increase their defense spending significantly more than 3% of GDP.
In January 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump again asked all NATO member countries to increase defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product.
Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that Poland supports Donald Trump's demand to increase defense spending for NATO countries to 5% of GDP, even if it takes 10 years for some alliance members who are lagging behind.