Allies need to boost military preparedness as Russia spends 40% on defense: NATO chief

BRUSSELS

The NATO secretary general said Wednesday that the alliance needs to ensure its militaries are prepared for a rapidly changing security environment, stressing that Russia's massive surge in defense spending requires an equally robust response from the allies.

"When it comes to making sure that our militaries are to the next prepared for the situation at hand … we know at the moment that Russia is spending about 40% of its state budget on defense, about $200 billion a year," Mark Rutte said in response to a question from Anadolu, addressing European efforts to expand conscription and include women in military service.

Speaking after a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, Rutte said Russia's defense expenditures are equivalent to roughly 10% of its GDP and benefits from purchasing power advantages, allowing Moscow to expand its armed forces and weapons production at speed.

"So given that fact and a rapid buildup of the Russian Armed Forces, (this) means that we have to react, and that is the 5% (of GDP) defense pledge, including 3.5% spent on core defense. And that has to do, of course, with men and women in uniform," he said.

He stressed that preparedness is not just about manpower, saying it also concerns “making sure that the defense-industrial base can deliver the output necessary. Like your defense-industrial base in Türkiye, over 3,000 companies, part of that defense industrial base delivers the output to make sure that we can deter and defend."

Rutte said European allies and Canada have made "significant" progress, but insisted that all 32 members must deliver on commitments to strengthen forces, enhance interoperability, and expand defense industry output.

- Ukraine, Russia, and China

On Ukraine, Rutte stressed that sustained military support remains vital both for Kyiv's survival and NATO's own security, welcoming the new contributions to NATO's Provision of Ukrainian Resilience and Lethality (PURL) program from several allies, noting that more than two-thirds of members have now pledged funds.

"We heard from Australia and New Zealand, who will also contribute to PURL, the first NATO partners to do so. And this means that allies and partners have already committed, now really, over $4 billion to PURL, getting us on the track to the 5 billion for the full year," he said.

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin believes he can outlast us, but we are not going anywhere," he said.

Rutte said Russia's "reckless behavior" — from intensified attacks on Ukraine to alleged airspace violations, cyber operations, and the use of spy ships to map critical undersea infrastructure — underscores "the need for unwavering vigilance."

Russia has denied any involvement in deliberate airspace violations or sabotage efforts.

The allies also discussed the role of China, with Rutte describing Beijing as "one of the key enablers" of Russia’s war effort through sanctions circumvention and dual-use exports.

As NATO prepares for its 2026 summit in Türkiye’s capital Ankara, Rutte said that the alliance's priorities remain clear: boosting defense investment, strengthening industrial output, and ensuring that Ukraine has what it needs to endure the coming winter and beyond.