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‘We are not ready for what is coming’: Nato chief warns of Russia’s goal to ‘crush’ Ukraine.
The head of Nato has warned that the western alliance is “not ready for what is coming our way” as Russian President Vladimir Putin aims to “wipe Ukraine off the map”.
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte told members of the alliance on Thursday that “it is time to shift to a wartime mindset,” warning that Russia is likely to target other parts of Europe after its campaign in Ukraine.
He noted that NATO members spent over 3% of GDP on defence during the Cold War and argued that future spending must far exceed the current 2% target as “freedom does not come for free”.
Speaking in Belgium, at the Carnegie Europe think-tank, Mr Rutte added that Moscow might use “swarms of drones” on the continent as it already has in Ukraine.
“Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us… (Putin) is trying to crush our freedom and way of life,” he said.
“We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years… It is time to shift to a wartime mindset and turbocharge our defence production and defence spending.
“How many more wake-up calls do we need? We should be profoundly concerned. I know I am.”
Mr Rutte outlined recent “hostile actions” by Russia against Nato allies, including cyber-attacks, assassinations, a Czech ammunition depot explosion, radar jamming in the Baltics to disrupt air traffic, and using migrants to destabilise Europe.
“These attacks are not just isolated incidents. They are the result of a coordinated campaign to destabilise our societies and discourage us from supporting Ukraine,” he said.
“They circumvent our deterrence and bring the front line to our front doors.”
Mr Rutte also revealed that Nato now has tens of thousands of troops on high readiness should they be needed to defend allied territory.
“With all this, our deterrence is good -– for now. But it’s tomorrow I’m worried about,” he said, warning that “we are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years. Danger is moving towards us at full speed”.
“What is happening in Ukraine could happen here too, and regardless of the outcome of this war, we will not be safe in the future unless we are prepared to deal with danger,” Mr Rutte added.
Trump’s return to the White House in January could throw a spanner in Nato’s plans as he has pledged to end the Russian-Ukrainian war quickly.
(itv)