NATO approves largest rearmament plan since cold war

NATO has approved its most ambitious rearmament programme since the Cold War, according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa). The plan is aimed at significantly bolstering deterrence and defence capabilities amid growing concerns over Russia’s military threat.

Ahead of a meeting of defence ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, secretary general Mark Rutte said the alliance would prioritise long-range weapons, air and missile defence systems, and mobile land forces.

The new programme sets detailed capability targets for each member state, based on revised defence plans shaped by intelligence assessments warning that Russia could be ready to strike a NATO member within a few years.

While the exact national targets remain classified, sources say overall capability goals are around 30 per cent higher than in the previous planning cycle. Some military officials already warn this may prove difficult, with several allies still falling short of existing commitments. 

”We already know we’ll have to spend much, much more if we want to meet all these targets.”

Rutte acknowledged the financial demands of the plan: “We already know we’ll have to spend much, much more if we want to meet all these targets.” 

At the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague later this month, member states are expected to decide on raising defence spending to at least 3.5 per cent of GDP, with an additional 1.5 per cent potentially allocated to related infrastructure. This would align with U.S. president Donald Trump’s call for total defence outlays to reach 5 per cent.

^{NATO secretary general Mark Rutte © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND}