
Nato chief asks alliance members to make 'quantum leap'
Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte will warn on Monday that a '400 per cent increase' in air and missile defence capacity is needed to counter the threat from Russia.
The Nato chief is meeting UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London amid calls by Donald Trump for members of the transatlantic alliance to increase defence spending to five per cent of GDP. The current target is two per cent.
Mr Rutte believes a 'quantum leap' in collective defence is needed.
He is expected to warn that 'wishful thinking will not keep us safe' and say that Nato must become a 'stronger, fairer and more lethal alliance' to protect itself.
'We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies,' Mr Rutte will say in a speech to the Chatham House think tank in London.
His comments come ahead of a Nato summit in the Netherlands this month and amid mounting pressure by Mr Trump on Nato members to increase defence spending.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week in Brussels that the allies were close to agreeing the five per cent target, which could be formalised at the summit in The Hague.
Nato members have been scrambling to bolster their defence capabilities since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
'Danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukraine ends,' Mr Rutte will say. 'We need a quantum leap in our collective defence … We must have more forces and capabilities to implement our defence plans in full.
'Our militaries also need thousands more armoured vehicles and tanks, millions more artillery shells.'
The UK's Strategic Defence Review, which was published last week, recommended sweeping changes, including a greater focus on new technology, including drones and artificial intelligence based on rising budgets.
It included plans to build up to 12 nuclear-powered attack submarines and six munitions factories to rearm the country in response to Russia's threat.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The National
an hour ago
- The National
Oil prices jump 4% on rising Middle East tension
Oil prices rose more than 4 per cent on Wednesday as the US was preparing to evacuate non-essential staff from its embassy in Baghdad amid rising regional tension. Brent crude futures rose $1.96, or 3.02 per cent, to $66.82 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate crude gained $2.93, or 4.51 per cent, to $67.90 per barrel at 4pm ET. 'It's so fragile. If you see any aberration like that, it doesn't surprise me at all you see volatility in oil prices,' said Peter Andersen, founder of Andersen Capital Management in Boston. The US State Department said it was preparing to evacuate non-essential staff in its embassy in Iraq, Opec's second-largest producer of crude oil behind Saudi Arabia. Non-essential staff members and family members were also authorised to leave Bahrain and Kuwait, according to reports. Tension in the region flared up on Wednesday as efforts between the US and Iran to reach a nuclear deal appeared to stall. In an interview with the New York Post published on Wednesday, President Donald Trump said he was getting 'less confident' about the prospects of a deal being reached. Mr Trump had previously expressed hope that the two sides could reach a deal, and a sixth round of talks were scheduled to take place in Oman on Thursday. 'Something happened to them, but I am much less confident of a deal being made,' he told the Post. Mr Trump added Tehran will not have a 'new nuclear weapon' regardless if a deal is reached. Matthew Bey, a senior global analyst at the Rane Network in Austin, said Mr Trump's comments are 'only reinforcing fears that nuclear talks may soon fall apart'. 'The likelihood of a US-Iran nuclear deal, even a temporary one, has declined in recent days as the White House has hardened its demand on Iran having to give up the right to enrich uranium and Iran has demonstrated little willingness to do so,' Mr Bey told The National in an email. Iran's Minister of Defence Aziz Nasirzadeh had also said on Wednesday that Tehran will strike US bases in the Middle East if nuclear talks fail and conflict arises. Major indexes on Wall Street wavered aftedr developments in the region, as investors continued to assess the prospects of a US-China trade truce and tame inflation data. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was virtually flat, losing 1.1 points at the closing bell. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both closed 0.27 and 0.50 per cent lower, respectively. 'Given such uncertainty in the markets right now we tend to defer being negative when we can't understand this stuff. There's a handshake deal, but it's a long way off from an actual deal,' Mr Andersen said.


The National
2 hours ago
- The National
US discourages world leaders from taking part in Saudi-French UN conference on Palestinian statehood
US President Donald Trump 's administration is actively discouraging world leaders from taking part in a Saudi-French conference on Palestinian statehood scheduled for next week at the UN. 'This conference would be counterproductive and we will encourage others not to participate,' a State Department representative told The National. French officials have said President Emmanuel Macron is leaning towards recognising a Palestinian state before the UN conference that France and Saudi Arabia are co-hosting from June 17 to 20. The goal of the conference is to establish the foundations for a plan towards a Palestinian state, with guarantees for Israel's security. Mr Macron, who is expected to attend the event, has said he is determined to recognise a Palestinian state, but also set out several conditions, including the 'demilitarisation' of Hamas. According to Reuters, the US warned countries in a memo that taking 'anti-Israel actions' after the conference could be seen as opposing Washington's foreign policy interests and may lead to diplomatic repercussions. 'The United States opposes any steps that would unilaterally recognise a conjectural Palestinian state, which adds significant legal and political obstacles to the eventual resolution of the conflict and could coerce Israel during a war, thereby supporting its enemies,' the memo read. Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Norway imposed sanctions on Tuesday on two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, accusing them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. The two ministers are settlers. 'The United States opposes the implied support of the conference for potential actions including boycotts and sanctions on Israel, as well as other punitive measures,' the memo read. Israel has repeatedly denounced the conference, saying it rewards Hamas for the October 7 attack that started the Gaza war, and has pressed France not to recognise a Palestinian state.


Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Iran threatens US bases in region if military conflict arises
If nuclear negotiations fail and conflict arises with the United States, Iran will strike American bases in the region, Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said on Wednesday, days ahead of a planned sixth round of Iran-US nuclear talks. "Some officials on the other side threaten conflict if negotiations don't come to fruition. If a conflict is imposed on us... all US bases are within our reach and we will boldly target them in host countries," Nasirzadeh said during a press conference. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened Iran with bombing if it does not reach a new nuclear deal. The next round of talks is due this week, with Trump saying negotiations would be held on Thursday while Tehran says they will take place on Sunday in Oman. Iran is expected to hand a counter-proposal to a previous US offer for a nuclear deal it rejected, with Trump reacting on Tuesday that Iran is becoming "much more aggressive" in nuclear talks. Nasirzadeh added Tehran recently tested a missile with a two-ton warhead and does not accept limitations. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had said in February that Iran should further develop its military, including its missiles.