NATO has expressed concerns over the inadequate defense spending of some member countries, especially given the worsening situation between Europe and Russia.

In an interview with CBS News, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized that, at present, member states are not prioritizing the defense readiness of both their own nations and the alliance itself. This, he warned, could place NATO in a vulnerable position in the future.

Currently, countries are spending around 2% of their GDP on defense, which is insufficient given the growing threats and the preparation for a new phase of deterring Russia on the continent.

According to Rutte, discussions are currently ongoing about increasing the target defense spending to 3%, though the administration of Donald Trump is calling for an increase to 5% so that the European part of NATO could defend itself against Russia in the event of war.

Nevertheless, he also noted that the European countries had already started investing more in defense, particularly in the defense industry, both in terms of their partners and domestic production.

A meeting on NATO’s defense capabilities is expected to take place at the June summit in The Hague, where the United States expects the alliance to make significant changes in establishing an effective defense structure in the near future.

It is important to note that the increase in defense spending aims not only at partially strengthening specific branches of the military or forces but also at the overall expansion of the armed forces and equipping them with new weaponry. This is intended to make individual NATO countries more independent from each other in terms of having long-range strike capabilities, combat aviation, air defense systems, and more.

Currently, significant strengthening of the armed forces is being carried out by Denmark and the Netherlands, which, in addition to increasing defense spending, plan to scale up their armies by creating new units and purchasing additional fighter jets and armored vehicles.

Militarnyi previously reported that the Danish government was limiting parliamentary oversight to speed up arms purchases and creating a multibillion-dollar rearmament fund.

The decision to prepare a foundation for rapid rearmament and procurement was made after two threats to Denmark emerged: from Russia, which attacked Ukraine and is a threat to NATO, and from the United States, which intends to take Greenland from Denmark.

The government has confirmed that there were plans for rapid rearmament, which would take place outside of the usual EU procurement procedures. This possibility is enshrined in the legislation if it is necessary to protect national security.