Rutte insists on the need to reach 5% of GDP for defense because "we no longer live in 'happyland'"

The NATO Summit in The Hague aims to secure a commitment from countries to increase spending to 5% of GDP. This idea generates reluctance among some allies, as is clearly the case with Spain. However, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte asserts that there is a broad understanding of the situation, that society understands it, because we no longer live in " happy land ," but in a "much more dangerous" historical moment.

"There is a clear threat from Russia. If we don't invest now, we run the risk of the Russians attempting something against NATO territory in at least five, six, or seven years . And so I see broad support," the former Dutch prime minister asserted.

"There is a change. We no longer live in happy land ," Rutte stated. "We are living in much more dangerous times. There are enemies and adversaries who may want to attack us. We must ensure that we defend our beautiful way of life, our citizens, and our values," he explained, justifying the need to increase the defense budget.

The increase in military spending is the central issue at the NATO meeting. In this regard, Rutte stated during the Public Forum, an event on the sidelines of the leaders' summit in The Hague, that Europeans and Canadians must increase their investment in this area. He emphasized that Washington wants to match its contributions with what the US is contributing. "As far as this 5% is concerned, the US is there," Rutte asserted.

However, he emphasized that the main reason for reaching this goal is the Russian threat. "My message to my European colleagues is to stop worrying so much. Start making sure that investment plans are being made, that the industrial base is operational, and that support for Ukraine remains at a high level," the Dutchman noted. " Stop worrying about the United States," he insisted.

" Germany has more than doubled its defense spending , comparing 2021 with 2029, from around 70 billion to 150 billion," the former Dutch prime minister said, adding that only one NATO country has done this.

"We know that countries like Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland are very close to the 3.5% threshold, and many others will follow suit," Rutte noted in his speech, also referring to Norway. "Now the defense industry knows what we need," the Secretary General of the Atlantic Alliance emphasized, highlighting the need to determine the necessary capabilities.

"The Russians are doing the same thing," the Dutchman recalled. "They produce in three months what NATO produces in a year, and they are twenty-five times smaller as an economy than the entire NATO economy." A situation that Rutte believes is unsustainable, as ammunition, technology, and artificial intelligence are needed.

The commitment expected to emerge from the meeting in The Hague is that the allies will increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, initially, by 2032. The formula for this is divided into 3.5% for pure military spending, such as ammunition and tanks, and another 1.5% for soft military spending, which would involve cybersecurity or critical infrastructure.

Spain openly expressed its intention to distance itself from such targets. In several letters to Rutte, the government argued that it could only increase spending to 2.1% , anchoring its arguments on the deployment of troops on the eastern flank or the pace of growth of the Spanish economy. While Sánchez's administration announced an exception for Madrid without specific percentage targets, the NATO Secretary General stepped in on Monday to deny this information. He emphasized that all countries must reach that 3.5% of GDP target, including Spain .