NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned this Thursday about the threat posed by Russia to Europe, which he considered a “destabilizing force” for the continent and the entire world.
“Russia is, and for the foreseeable future will remain, a destabilizing and confrontational force in Europe and the world,” Rutte said during the II Prague Defense Summit, organized by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
“This year alone, 1,500 tanks, 3,000 armored vehicles, and hundreds of Iskander missiles (ballistic missiles) are expected to come off their production lines,” Rutte noted about the Russian state investment in Defense, to which it allocates 40% of its general budgets.
He recalled that that country and China “are producing weapons at a dazzling rate, not to impress in military parades, but to exert influence aggressively, to try to reshape the world order,” warned the Dutch conservative politician.
A world leader in global security, political risks and military conflicts, the London-based institute analyzes at its Prague meeting this week the future development of defense capabilities in Europe, specifically, innovations, acquisitions and industrial cooperation.
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According to Rutte, like Russia and China, other countries, such as Iran and North Korea, pose challenges both individually and as a result of their cooperation” and all of them together are preparing for a “long-term confrontation”.
“They are increasing the cooperation of their military industries to unprecedented limits, they are preparing for long-term confrontation and that makes the challenges we face lasting,” noted the NATO Secretary General.
In this context, Rutte expressed his concern about the state of the U.S. Navy, as “it is not at a pace that can catch up with China”.
