Secretary General of NATO: We are the next target of Russia
“In 2025, Russia launched 46,000 drones and missiles against Ukraine. Each month, the Russians are already producing 2,900 combat drones. (…) We are in danger” - said the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
“We must speak clearly about the threats — we are Russia’s next target (…)” said Mark Rutte in Berlin during the December meeting held under the framework of the Munich Security Conference.
No time to rest on our laurels
According to Rutte, NATO has made significant progress over the past year in strengthening its own defense and deterrence capabilities. As an example, he cited not only the June summit in The Hague, during which the Alliance’s member states committed to allocating 2 percent of GDP to defense by 2035, but also the PURL initiative (75 percent of the missiles for Patriot systems in Ukraine are delivered through this mechanism – editor’s note), as well as a substantial increase in ammunition production (a sixfold rise in the production of 155 mm shells compared to 2023 – editor’s note).
However, the politician emphasized that the efforts made so far are still insufficient. “This is not the time for congratulations. (…) Russia has become more ruthless toward Ukraine and NATO,” he noted, presenting key data on the Russian offensive.
According to information provided by Mark Rutte, as of December 11, 2025, Russia had launched 46,000 drones and missiles against Ukraine. Each month, the Russians produce 2,900 combat drones and a similar number of so-called decoys. In financial terms, 40 percent of Russia’s budget is already allocated to war-related activities, while 70 percent of all machinery produced in Russia goes directly to the military sector.
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With Chinese help
Once again, the issue of China and its support for Moscow surfaced in the context of Russia’s war machine.
“China is their last lifeline. Without its support, Russia would not be able to sustain this war. Eighty percent of the electronic components in Russian drones are manufactured in China,” said Mark Rutte, who added that Russia could be ready to strike NATO countries within the next five years.
“The war is at our doorstep. We must be prepared for a conflict comparable in scale to what our grandparents remember. (…) It can still be prevented,” Rutte concluded.
