After a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Friday, Rutte told a press conference that he had heard claims about NATO becoming a two-speed alliance, with countries on the eastern flank, such as Poland and the Baltic states, rapidly increasing their defence spending, and southern European countries dragging their feet.
"Indeed, if you look at Poland and the three Baltic states, their military spending is close to or has already exceeded 4 percent of GDP, and is even approaching 5 percent," Rutte said, adding that he did not like the less-engaged countries' approach.
"I keep repeating that today we all live on the eastern flank," he continued. "The only difference between Vilnius, Rome or London is how long it would take for the Russian missiles to reach them. And for any European capital, it is a maximum of 10 minutes."
"We currently face real threats to our security, most directly from Russia, but also from others, state and non-state, in the High North, in the South, on the eastern flank and in cyberspace," Rutte told reporters. "No matter what challenges we face, we must ensure that we have the forces and capabilities necessary to deter aggression, and defend ourselves if someone makes the mistake of attacking."
He declared that NATO countries would now work to cut red tape and reduce barriers to produce more, better and faster for their defence.
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Source: PAP
Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Michał Owczarek.