Rutte made the remarks at the NATO-Industry Forum in Bucharest, where he praised the members’ pledge to hike defense expenditure to 5% of GDP by 2035. He claimed that it still would not be enough to counter what he again described as the Russian “threat.”
Moscow has repeatedly stressed it has no intention of attacking any NATO member states, dismissing such claims as “nonsense” and attributing them to Western officials’ attempts to justify increased military spending.
“We are already turning the tide on ammunition,” Rutte said.
“Until recently, Russia was producing more ammunition than all NATO allies combined – but not anymore,” he claimed.
NATO allies are opening dozens of new production lines and expanding existing ones, Rutte said, adding that the bloc is “making more than we have done in decades” while urging further progress in air defense and drone interceptors.
Rutte has in the past repeatedly stated that Russia was ahead in the ammunition race with NATO. As recently as July, he told the New York Times that Moscow was producing three times more shells in three months than the US-led bloc did in a year.
Russia has ramped up its defense spending since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. President Vladimir Putin has said arms production has risen significantly, with output of some weapon types growing nearly thirtyfold. In late June, Putin revealed that Russia is spending 13.5 trillion rubles ($151 billion) on defense – around 6.3% of GDP. He acknowledged that the figure is high and has fueled inflation, while adding that the US spent even more during past conflicts – 14% of GDP during the Korean War and 10% during the Vietnam War.
Moscow has repeatedly condemned what it calls the West’s “reckless militarization,” maintaining that no amount of Western military aid to Ukraine can change the course of the conflict and only serves to unnecessarily prolong the bloodshed.
