NATO chief warns Putin not to attack Poland. Armed Sweden
Poland is particularly threatened by Russia because of the war in Ukraine. During a visit to Warsaw, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte reiterated the Alliance’s willingness to respond.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin not to take any attacks on Poland. Anyone who thinks can escape by attacking Poland or another NATO country is wrong and « will feel the full strength of this determined alliance, » Rutte said during a visit to the Polish capital, Warsaw.
« Our reaction will be devastating, » the head of the Western Military Alliance added. This should be clear about Putin and « anyone who wants to attack us ».
More funds for the military
« Russia is and will remain the biggest and worst threat to our alliance, » Rutte said at a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Moscow is transforming its economy into a « war economy », which will have a major impact on the Russian army’s abilities.
In this context, Rutte welcomed the planned increase in defense spending in Europe and Canada. He agreed with US President Donald Trump that NATO countries should invest even more in their security. Partnership with the United States remains « the foundation stone of our alliance and this will not change, » the Dutch added.
Tusk emphasized that, given the geopolitical situation in changing, it is very important for Poland to receive the confirmation « that NATO is forced to defend Poland in any critical situation ». The prime minister also spoke about the ceasefire talks between the US, Ukraine and Russia representatives: « To be honest, our influence on these negotiations, to say it politely, is limited. Therefore, we as NATO, like Poland, must be prepared for scenarios that we do not yet understand. »
Therefore Poland plans to spend 4.7% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on national defense this year. Moreover, the Warsaw government aims to withdraw from the so -called Ottawa Treaty that stops mines against persons, such as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. All four states are Ukrainian close allies.
Sweden armed
Sweden, a new NATO member, also wants to dramatically increase its protection costs over the next ten years. Prime Minister Ulf Cristerson announced at a press conference in Stockholm that about 300 billion Swedish Krona (approximately 28 billion euros) will be spent on protection by 2035.
Since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, we have seen ourselves in a completely new situation of security policy. Moreover, there is a lot of uncertainty about transatlantic relations, Kristersson said, referring to Trump’s policy. These uncertainties will continue for a long time.
Credit-funded investments are needed to allocate about 3.5% of GDP for protection by 2030, the Swedish Prime Minister explained. Currently, about 2.4% of GDP have been spent in the Scandinavian country.
After the end of the Cold War in the 1990s, Sweden drastically reduced its military spending. Only after the Russian annexation of the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine in 2014, the Stockholm government began to invest more in the country’s security. In March 2024, Sweden, formerly neutral, officially joined NATO.
