Nato’s Rutte says the alliance needs to make more weapons
WASHINGTON—Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said on Thursday the alliance’s members needed to produce more weapons and were lagging behind Russia and China.
Speaking in the Oval Office during a visit with President Donald Trump, Rutte said the alliance was not doing enough on the issue of weapons production.
“Trump 45, you basically originated the fact that in Europe, we’re now spending … $700 billion more in defense than when you came in office in 2016 and 2017,” Rutte said.
The Nato chief added, “Trump 47, what happened in last couple of weeks is really staggering. The Europeans committing to a package of €800 billion ($868 billion) defense spending.”
Rutte spoke a week after Trump bluntly declared that the United States would not defend Nato allies that do not pay enough for defense.
The US president since his first term has been urging Nato countries to pay their dues for the defense of Europe.
Despite the rise in defense contributions, Rutte said, “We’re not there. We need to do more.”
‘Lacking hype’
He stressed that Nato needs “to produce more weaponry. We are not doing enough. Not in the United States, not in Europe, and we are lacking the hype when you compare to the Russians and the Chinese.”
China on March 4 announced that it would be spending $231.36 billion more on defense or 7.2 percent from 2024.
Russia meanwhile said in September last year that it would be raising defense spending by $145 billion, or 6.3 percent of its GDP, in 2025.
