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Russia is rapidly increasing its military spending, which now accounts for 48% of the country’s state budget. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made the statement during a press conference following a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels, UATV English reports.
“If you look at Russia more broadly, do not forget that the latest figures coming out of Russia show that currently 48% of the entire state budget is being spent on defense. This means that of the tax revenues Moscow receives, around 75% is now being spent on defense. These are staggering figures,” Rutte said.
He stressed that Allies should not be naive about Russia and called for increased defense spending and military capabilities in response to the ongoing threat. At the same time, Rutte said that the biggest mistake Russia could make would be attempting to attack a NATO member state.
“Russia is not larger than Belgium and the Netherlands combined. And they know that we are very strong as NATO. And they know they cannot defeat us. Therefore, we will do everything to make sure they understand that it would be their greatest mistake if they tried. According to open-source assessments from various intelligence services across Europe, Russia could rebuild its forces and be ready to attack by 2029. We must ensure that we are strong today, and even stronger tomorrow, stronger in 2027 and in 2031, so that they know it is better not even to try,” the NATO chief emphasized.
Rutte also noted that everything possible must be done to ensure Ukraine remains as strong as possible in this struggle.
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Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte discussed strengthening Ukraine’s air defense system, expanding contributions to the PURL program, and Europe’s overall position during a meeting in Brussels.
