NATO director avoids question regarding why to fear ‘Russian attack’

(MENAFN) NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte declined to provide concrete evidence when asked why the alliance believes Russia might launch an attack within the next five years. During a press conference on Monday, Rutte referenced the potential threat to justify his push for significantly higher defense budgets across NATO member states.

Western officials have frequently warned of a possible Russian assault on an Eastern European NATO country, using these concerns to support increased military expenditures. Russia has strongly denied these claims, dismissing them as baseless.

When pressed at a pre-summit briefing in The Hague about the intelligence backing NATO’s assessment, Rutte avoided sharing specific details. Instead, he spoke generally about widespread anxiety within NATO, citing unnamed senior military and intelligence figures who warn that in three to seven years, Russia could successfully attack if defense investments don’t increase.

Rutte stressed the need for substantial defense spending growth—targeting 5% of GDP—to maintain NATO’s readiness, highlighting that this would require consistent yearly increases to build personnel and upgrade military capabilities.

Meanwhile, Russia has repeatedly rejected accusations of planning an invasion. President Vladimir Putin labeled the claims as “nonsense” and “shameless lies” intended to justify increased military budgets in the West. Speaking to military graduates, Putin said these threats are fabricated to fuel an arms race and global militarization.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov criticized NATO’s escalating military build-up, suggesting the alliance must manufacture a “monster” to push through its ambitious defense spending goals. He described NATO as an alliance founded on confrontation, not peace or stability.

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