NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said Allies must work closely while leveraging their specific technical strengths to counter increased security threats around the world.
Speaking at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Prague Defence Summit in September 2025, Rutte warned that China and Russia are preparing their defense industries for “long-term confrontation.” He pointed to Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin together leading a parade of new Chinese military hardware just days before the IISS summit.
“We face serious and lasting threats: Russia and China are investing heavily to build up and modernize their militaries,” he said. “Their defense industries are producing weapons and heavy military equipment at a remarkable, staggering, rate.”
China unveiled a range of nuclear weapons, including two new gigantic intercontinental ballistic missile designs, during a recent World War II anniversary parade in Beijing, Reuters reported. Xi walked through the crowds with Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un flanking him. It was his first public appearance with both men and a message to Europe and the U.S. about their military might, according to Reuters.
Rutte warned that the parade was not merely an attempt to “show off,” but rather “to aggressively exert influence and attempt to reshape the global order and undermine our freedom and security.” The challenge posed to NATO isn’t limited to Russia, Rutte said, noting that China, Iran and North Korea’s deepening defense industrial cooperation was reaching “unprecedented levels.”
“China, Iran, and North Korea pose challenges individually and as a result of their cooperation,” he said. “You only have to look at the pictures from Beijing the last couple of days, and the hand holding,” Rutte added, referring to footage of Xi holding hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as they huddled with Putin at a security summit days before.
Rutte noted that Allies attending the June 2025 NATO summit at The Hague agreed to accelerate defense production and increase defense spending to 5% of each country’s gross domestic product by 2035, with 3.5% invested in core defense requirements and 1.5% going toward “investments that support our defense and security like infrastructure, cybersecurity and industry.”
Such high levels of defense investment are crucial to maintaining security, he said.
“Today, Russia allocates 40% of its budget on its war economy … and this year alone, it is expected to roll out at least 1,500 tanks, 3,000 armored vehicles and hundreds of Iskander missiles. Yes, they are using this equipment against Ukraine. And we are working to end this aggression as quickly as possible and to secure a just and lasting peace.
“But we should not be naïve. This trend is not going to shift or reverse anytime soon. Russia is — and for the foreseeable future will remain — a destabilizing and confrontational force in Europe and the world.”
The NATO chief said China is a pacing threat for building warships, and Europe and the United States must increase production of their fleets. He noted that partnerships with countries in Europe and the Indo-Pacific are vital to closing that gap as well as bringing other emerging technologies to the field.
“That’s how we stay stronger, produce faster and innovate better,” he said. “That’s how we win the competition and preserve peace through strength.”