NATO chief Mark Rutte on Thursday called on allies to step up defensive efforts to prevent a war waged by Russia, which could be "on the scale of the war that our grandparents and great-grandparents endured."
In a speech in Berlin, Rutte said that many allies in the military alliance did not sense the urgency of the Russian threat to Europe, and that they must rapidly increase defense spending and production to prevent a war on the scale of what past generations have seen.
"We are Russia's next target. I fear that many are complacent in silence. Many do not feel the urgency. And many believe that time is on our side. It is not. The time for action is now," Rutte said.
"The conflict is at our doorstep. Russia has brought war back to Europe. And we must be prepared," he added, the Telegraph reports.
Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years, NATO chief added. /Telegraph
