NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told cadets at the U.S. Military Academy West Point that the Alliance is entering an “age of confrontation,” with Russia, China, North Korea and Iran working together to undermine the transatlantic community, the UK Defence Journal understands.
Addressing the corps of cadets on 25 September, Rutte set out a stark assessment of the global security environment. “We are in an age of confrontation. This is confrontation we did not seek. It was contrived in capitals working to undermine us – Moscow, Beijing, Pyongyang, and Tehran,” he said.
The Secretary General linked Russia’s war in Ukraine to this broader challenge. “Russia has brought war back to Europe and has teamed up with China, North Korea, and Iran to expand their capabilities and their ability to exert influence,” he warned.
At the same time, Rutte stressed that NATO’s collective strength remains decisive. “Our enduring commitment to NATO’s Article 5 – that an attack on one, is an attack on all – sends a powerful message. Any aggressor must know that we can – and will – hit back harder,” he said, highlighting that NATO’s 32 Allies represent half the world’s economic and military power.
The speech also pushed the need to rebalance the burden across the Atlantic. “America’s military has carried too much of the burden for too long. So, therefore, we are rebalancing our security for the better. With Europe and Canada stepping up. Everyone doing their fair share will make the transatlantic bond even stronger,” Rutte argued.
On Ukraine, he reinforced NATO’s continued support. “Ukraine’s security impacts all of our security. And NATO is committed to support Ukraine… Already this has channelled 2 billion dollars of military equipment from the US, to Ukraine, paid for by Allies,” he said, noting that security guarantees are being developed to ensure peace endures once fighting ends.
Rutte also underlined the enduring importance of the individual soldier, telling cadets: “The soldier is the Army. No army is better than its soldiers. If called on, you are the generation we will depend on to lead, to fight and to win.”
Potential confrontation with each other, too, if we don’t protect the integrity of international law and democracy in Europe.
It’s hard not to be extremely concerned, when everywhere you look, the far right are being emboldened by foreign actors (Russia, China and worse – the USA). Meanwhile we watch as the institutions & alliances that have ensured peace since WW2 are eroded and undermined by those obliged to protect them.
And through all of this, the response of our once great people is not one of outrage, but one of glee.
The chances of our children being engaged in a significant war in their lifetimes has gone up exponentially, in the space of just a few years. But that’s okay, because Trump has a grand strategy that we just can’t yet see, and Farage will stop the small boats.
I agree on the populists but I still don’t see major war on the cards. Ukraine has proven that the advantage is now clearly on the side of the defender and that the eastern authoritarian regimes are much weaker than they want us to believe. None of them lifted a finger to help Iran and Israel’s small western style air force cut through them like a knife through butter.
This is exactly what we seen in 91.
Despite Trump and other populists the world is actually much more united than it appears and the west had endured and become stronger since 2022.
Russia will soon break up. The Iranian regime will be overthrown and china will get smaller and poorer for many decades to come.
As for institutions like WTO and UN I think they have had their day. We need something new that doesn’t hold back democracy and reward dictatorships.
You’re wasted on here Jim.
I fear that is over optimistic, ‘wasted’ or otherwise. I think it’s sadly your words are as mixed as the prospects for World peace, I agree the UN and WTO are in decline but is that a good thing? It will lead to the fractious power based self serving deal making (that Trump trumps in essence) we had pre war and that didn’t work well between World powers esp after the fall of the League of Nations.
Russia will break up? I hope so but it’s been talked of for years and there is little sign even after a million or so dead for virtually nothing to suggest it will collapse, the centre still seems in control and sadly even if it does break up what comes after, probably hardline states feeling aggrieved with the west and holding all manner of nuclear weapons to threaten each other and the World so hardly a new stability. Again Iran doesn’t seem likely to fracture any time soon.
The evidence for China getting smaller, I would need some remote evidence for that I’m afraid they are currently still growing at 6% 2 to 3 times that of the US which is yet to feel most of the outfall from the self destructive economic policies being put in place. Despite Trumps claims that they are bringing in trillions of dollars through tariffs it’s interesting they are begging South Korea to pay promised mythical investments up front to the US Govt. They won’t, indeed can’t do that.
The rest I think and certainly hope you have a good argument, though western unity is still to be truly tested I fear and if the US starts to self destructive as is entirely possible will mean little. The positive is that Europe is finally recognising the dangers and reacting to it, but again how much does the talk turn into the new powerful united military entity that’s needed, especially without the US? It will certainly be tested, massively so in that latter scenario the worrying factor being where Nth Korea could even play an unpredictable role as vicious cannon fodder.
As and when the popularists get in where will European unity end up? Farage has admiration for Putin and is a puppet of Trump, what happens in France after the next election when Le Pen likely gets in and other Countries are under threat too. I doubt even the populists will get on with each other, Putin will be salivating at the prospect of widening the cracks.
I think I was wrong actually writing this, I’m not sure I have much faith in the longer term validity of any of your major points sadly, other than the weakness of the authoritarian opposition, geez we will need that to have much confidence the present unity has a solid future. I hope you are more right than me, but the next year or so will decide a lot I think and as weak as he is I think Putin is hoping that’s where the tide turns in his favour. To be fair it all depends on China I hope your take is right there but overall events ould go either way I think. If we hold our nerve is goes our way but I fear various electorates are far more internally focused than seeing bigger pictures of where they put their votes. Hungary with their history showed how delusion can prevail though there are as with the US signs the people are seeing their error if in either case they are allowed to actually exercise it however is the question.
Unfortunately I fear you are overestimating the common sense element. I would sadly lay money that China will move on Taiwan and probably within the decade.. because of something you said.. Chinese geostrategic power will hit it high point in about a decade and then potentially decline and the Chinese communist party have bet the house on reunification by 2045..China will reunify one way or another that is an indisputable paradigm of the Chinese communist party… if they decide the only way for that to happen is through a war they have already told everyone that is what will happen.. China wants to win its war none kinetically but if it sees no other route to victory it will go kinetic.
We should call a meeting to discuss setting up a meeting so we can plan further meetings to discuss this.
Maybe we can come up with a few dozen pre concept Ideas and move forward to the next phase.
Subject to agreement.
Obviously we’ll have to have a meeting to discuss where the meeting should take place.
I think the term ‘meeting’ is anachronistic and something of a micro aggression to the modern audience. I suggest first of all we establish a focus group to determine the correct terminology and only then should we hold one of them thingies.
Ah but where should we establish this proposed Focus Group, we need a clear path and some basic ground rules in place before anything can be set in motion.
“Thingies” need to be thunk about in advance.
My brain hurts…
My local’s free. Doesn’t sell Brandy or cigars mind so could be a deal breaker.
The sooner our politicians realise we’re at war with the Teemu Mongolian Horde the quicker we can bring peace to Europe again.
Can they wait till I get by shoes from Temu delivered please.