"Russia is preparing for long-term confrontation, with Ukraine and with us," Mark Rutte said, adding: "We are not ready for what is coming our way in four to five years."

Summary

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned that the alliance must adopt a “wartime mindset” to prepare for long-term confrontation with Russia.

Speaking in Brussels, he urged members to increase defense spending beyond the 2% GDP target, noting that only 23 of 32 members currently meet it.

Rutte emphasized boosting defense production, addressing cyber threats, and countering China’s military buildup and actions toward Taiwan.

His remarks come as Donald Trump threatens to withhold defense support from NATO members failing to meet spending commitments, raising concerns about alliance unity.

  • Maalus@lemmy.worldEnglish
    22·
    13 days ago

    Oh yeah, Russia hasn’t ever been genocidal, not since its tsarist days huh.

    The solution I propose is to arm ourselves so that Russia doesn’t think about attacking anyone ever again. And neither does China and neither does Iran or any other asshole that wants war.

    • hark@lemmy.worldEnglish
      21·
      11 days ago

      Both Germany and Japan were defeated in a hot war, as opposed to a cold war, so your point about occupation is irrelevant in the case of Russia. Germany and Japan also received generous economic benefits, a far more relevant point that you ignored for whatever reason. Are you trying to argue that Russia was a genocidal warring regime right when the USSR collapsed? I guess we should just nuke them out of existence because you seem to think it’s in their genes or something.

    • hark@lemmy.worldEnglish
      22·
      13 days ago

      Oh yeah, Russia hasn’t ever been genocidal, not since its tsarist days huh.

      I didn’t say that.

      The solution I propose is to arm ourselves so that Russia doesn’t think about attacking anyone ever again. And neither does China and neither does Iran or any other asshole that wants war.

      The US is the most armed, most advanced military in the history of humanity. Somehow this hasn’t achieved peace in the world.

      • Maalus@lemmy.worldEnglish
        3·
        13 days ago

        We live in unprecedented peaceful times compared to any other age in history. You don’t achieve peace by disarming yourself and hoping your aggressive neighbor magically flips on the decades of genocidal intent and imperialism. I won’t be replying to you further, I hate going in circles about something that has shown to be true time and time again.

        • hark@lemmy.worldEnglish
          22·
          13 days ago

          We live in unprecedented peaceful times compared to any other age in history.

          That depends on where you are in the world. For the west, absolutely, since they’ve mastered the art of proxy wars. The same is not true of the global south for whom these wars aren’t by proxy.

          You don’t achieve peace by disarming yourself and hoping your aggressive neighbor magically flips on the decades of genocidal intent and imperialism.

          Sure, but you also don’t achieve peace by provoking and undermining others through proxies and economic exploitation.

          I won’t be replying to you further, I hate going in circles about something that has shown to be true time and time again.

          Thanks for sparing me an argument with someone who already seems set in their ways and is unwilling to listen to what others are saying.