NATO urged to boost air and missile defences by 400 percent
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is expected to call for a major expansion of the alliance’s air and missile defence capabilities during a speech in London. He will advocate for a 400% increase in these systems, highlighting it as a key agenda item for the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague later this month.
Rutte is also pressing member states to significantly raise their defence budgets—proposing that countries allocate 3.5% of GDP to defence and an additional 1.5% to broader security expenditures. This call is seen as a direct response to U.S. President Donald Trump's push for NATO members to commit a total of 5% of GDP to defence-related efforts. Rutte indicated last month that he expects this target to be agreed upon during the June 24–25 summit.
Speaking at Chatham House in London, Rutte will emphasize that NATO must take a "quantum leap" in its defence capabilities. He will argue that increasing air and missile defence is essential to maintain credible deterrence, especially given the ongoing war in Ukraine. He is expected to say: “We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies.”
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, fighting continues in Ukraine. European nations are facing growing pressure to strengthen their defences, especially after Trump suggested the continent should take greater responsibility for its own security. The United Kingdom and Germany have already begun adjusting their defence strategies. The UK plans to raise its defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 and eventually to 3%, while Germany estimates it will need 50,000 to 60,000 additional active personnel to meet NATO’s new targets.
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