Overview
- At a Berlin press conference, NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte said Alliance members could be the next target within five years and urged higher defense spending, citing sabotage and airspace incidents in Europe.
- Russian officials, including Sergey Lavrov and Vladimir Putin, rejected claims of aggressive intent and said such assurances could be put in writing, as Russian embassies labeled Rutte’s remarks provocative and urged Germany to dial down rhetoric.
- Hungary’s foreign minister Péter Szijjártó condemned the message as inflaming tensions and claimed it undercuts ongoing efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
- UK deputy defence minister Alister Carns said his department is preparing the public for potential conflict, warned that the “shadow of war” is near Europe, and argued Europe must raise spending as U.S. resources face competing demands.
- Other European reactions were mixed, with Sweden’s armed forces chief saying Russia does not want to attack NATO at present and Belgian commentary linking Rutte’s urgency to debates over using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine.