NATO has the best defense industry in the world, including the industry enterprise in Europe, the USA and Turkey. But in order to “leave behind competitors”, China and others, it is necessary to produce more, faster and together.
This was stated by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at a meeting of the defense ministers of NATO countries at the headquarters of the Bloc in Brussels.
The meeting participants discussed the issue of increasing the expenses of the alliance for defense.
Rutte noted that the European allies of NATO and Canada in recent years have increased their contribution to the distribution of financial burden.
“European allies and Canada have invested more than $ 700 billion in defense over the past 10 years. This means that NATO and Canada allies invested about $ 500 billion in defense in 2024, which is almost 20 percent more than in 2023 But this is not enough.
The General Secretary added that the “destabilizing actions of Russia directed against the Alliance”, especially in the Baltic Sea, and the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, will become other points of the meeting.
As part of the meeting, the Allies will also meet with the Minister of Defense of Ukraine Rustam Umamov and the Supreme Representative of the European Union (EU) for foreign affairs and security policy Kaya Callas.