NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Romania on 5 and 6 November, meeting national leaders and addressing the NATO-Industry Forum in Bucharest.
According to NATO, the visit highlighted Romania’s growing role in regional security and the alliance’s drive to expand defence industrial capacity.
During meetings with President Nicușor Dan and Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, Rutte thanked Romania for its contributions to Black Sea security, increased defence spending and support for Ukraine. He said, “Romania is invested in NATO, and NATO is invested in Romania,” describing the country as central to the alliance’s southern and eastern posture.
Speaking at the NATO-Industry Forum, Rutte told defence leaders and industrial executives that “there simply is no strong defence without a strong defence industry.” The conference, titled Rearming NATO: Innovate, Accelerate, Sustain, focused on strengthening collaboration between governments and industry as allies prepare to raise collective defence spending toward 5% of GDP by 2035.
He urged companies to expand production and adapt supply chains to meet the alliance’s requirements, saying NATO would accelerate procurement and support innovation to help them do so. Rutte also warned that “Russia will remain a destabilising force in Europe and the world,” pointing to cooperation between Moscow, Beijing, Tehran and Pyongyang as signs of “long-term confrontation.”
“We cannot be naive. We must be prepared,” he said, adding that NATO and its partners must “out-gun, out-produce and out-smart those that seek to harm or diminish us.”
Following the forum, Rutte met students at the University of Bucharest to discuss security challenges facing NATO and the importance of maintaining public and industrial support for allied defence.
Is it “Rutte ing” Season ?
He’s certainly making a lot of loud calls.
I wonder if the UK Government is listening, as their defence investment plan seems to have gone into the Chancellor’s waste bin!
Known as the DIP. Abbreviation of Defence Investment Plan says it all…..
Jonathan,.
Please explain an apparent inconsistency, perhaps paradox. Believe you have stated previously that UK allocated approximately 60% of GDP to defence during peak period of WW II, and maintained at least 5% throughout CW I. However, there is apparently significant question re capability/resolve to gradually increase defence spending from 2.3% of GDP to 3.5% over a period of 10 years. Somewhat difficult to reconcile policy differences over time. Is the UK population and political perspective radically different post CWI, as a result of the net effect of recent immigration policy? A result of general distrust by the electorate of government policies? Result of unconstrained social-welfare expenditures? Difficult to rationalize change in perspective w/in one generation (1990-2025). Requesting analysis. 🤔
With over 60 reccomendations accepted, the DIP funding Is probably rather difficult to account for. I’m already seing Spin and deflection in various reports.
Fingers crossed, It’ll be published soon and we can all share our thoughts.
Personally, I’m not convinced any significant orders will be forth coming but serious amounts may be given over to papering over some temporarily filled cracks.
See, this is the trouble with this site, no one takes it seriously
Here I am tapping away, keeping it nice and short (not enough viewers here) and Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
Might just as well write a load of stupid comments !
HW,
Actually, DIP Is totally dependent upon HMG’s attitude toward fulfilling stated defence spending commitments. Is there any certainty HMG is truly committed to a rearmament process, as opposed to placating the current POTUS’ defence spending demands of NATO allies, in an attempt to secure more favorable trade policy? Not certain if any non-politician is capable of providing a complete answer. 🤔