Nato chief warns: Europe must prepare for third world war

Nato Secretary-General Mark Rutte is now urging citizens in all European countries to immediately prepare for “war on a scale endured by our grandparents.” He warns that Russia may be ready to attack Nato within five years – and that Europe is already in danger.

During a speech in Berlin on Thursday, Rutte issued a strong call to member countries to prepare for a situation that more than anything else resembles total warfare. Peace is something we can forget.

“We are Russia’s next target. And we are already in danger. Russia has brought war back to Europe, and we must be prepared for the level of war endured by our grandparents,” he said.

He noted that Europe’s current course change – that Nato countries plan to raise military spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035 – is positive, but far from sufficient to wage a war of that magnitude.

Demands for a wartime mentality

Rutte emphasized that the Western world must abandon the notion that the situation is not urgent.

“This is not the time for self-congratulation. I fear that too many are silently complacent. Too many do not feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not. The time for action is now.”

According to Rutte, Russia’s current military reorganization could mean that the country has the capacity to attack Nato much earlier than many member countries believe.

Nato’s own defense can hold for the moment, but with its economy dedicated to war, Russia could be ready to use military force against Nato within five years, he warned.

Putin “pays with his own people’s blood”

To underscore the seriousness, Rutte pointed to the human cost of Russia’s warfare and claimed that in the Kremlin, they are prepared to pay a terrible price in human lives.

“Putin pays for his pride with his own people’s blood. And if he is willing to sacrifice ordinary Russians in this way, what is he then willing to do to us?”

Implicitly, we must be prepared for Nato, in response to this, to sacrifice European lives on a corresponding scale.

China’s crucial role for the Russian war machine

Rutte also criticized China’s support for Russia, arguing that China effectively enables the continued offensive in Ukraine.

“China is Russia’s lifeline. Without China’s support, Russia would not be able to continue waging this war. Around 80 percent of the critical electronic components in Russian drones and other systems are manufactured in China. So when civilians die in Kiev or Kharkiv, Chinese technology is often inside the weapons killing them.”

Watch and listen to the entire speech below.

Putin: We do not plan war against Europe

At a press conference at the end of November, Russia’s president stated that he has no intentions of attacking European states. Putin added that if European countries demand a guarantee to ensure that a Russian attack will never happen, he is prepared to provide such assurance.

But Putin also made it clear that if European countries were to attack Russia, the country is ready for a major war.

“We do not plan to go to war against Europe. I have said that a hundred times. But if Europe wants to wage war against us and suddenly initiates a war against us, then we are ready. There is no doubt about that,” Putin said, continuing:

“The only question is that if Europe suddenly decides to go to war against us, then I think very quickly… Europe is not Ukraine.”

Before the press, Putin claimed that Russia is not conducting a full-scale war in Ukraine, but according to him, is acting with “surgical precision” – something he believes they would not do in a war against the EU.

“In Ukraine, we act with surgical precision. Do you understand what I mean? It is not a war in the direct, modern sense of the word. If Europe suddenly decides to go to war against us and actually carries it out, a situation could very quickly arise where we have no one left to negotiate with.”

Kristersson: “Will affect us for a generation”

On Thursday evening, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) published a post where he revealed that he had participated in Nato’s group “Coalitions of the Willing” – a coalition of countries willing to do more for Ukraine and even send troops there.

Kristersson writes that he does not know how or when the war will end, but he can assure the Swedish people that it will affect us for at least a generation to come. Presumably, Kristersson refers to the costs that taxpayers will bear for the multi-billion support to Ukraine, as well as the plans to expand the Swedish defense.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Swedish taxpayers have contributed over 170 billion SEK, including both already disbursed and planned support from Swedish politicians.