NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has called on Germany to increase its defence spending and arms production.
Rutte acknowledged that Germany has made significant contributions since the onset of the war in Ukraine. However, given the size of Germany’s economy, he stated, “we obviously want them to do more” in an interview with the German newspaper Bild.
Germany needs to allocate more resources to military expenditure, Rutte says. He stressed that this increase is necessary and that Europe’s largest economy must also ramp up armoury production. “We must prepare for war. It is the best way to prevent it,” he said. Rutte believes all NATO members should boost their financial contributions. Although the extent of the increase is still subject to discussion, he assured that it would be “much, much, much more than 2%.”
Currently, NATO members are required to spend 2% of their GDP on defence. However, an upcoming NATO summit in June will address raising this percentage. U.S. President Donald Trump has advocated for a new threshold of 5%, a target even the United States has yet to meet. Germany has already committed to spending over 2% of its GDP on defence.
