MOSCOW (Sputnik) – NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that European countries have increased their military spending, comparing this growth to the Cold War era.
«It is staggering the amount of billions coming in. It —you have to compare this to the days of the Cold War, when you look at the overall defense spending now being ramped up in Europe,» Rutte told CBS.
At the same time he highlighted that the alliance’s countries produce as much ammunition in a year as Russia produces in three months.
«We are producing in a full year in ammunition what Russia is producing in three months,» Rutte said.
Meanwhile, in 2024 alone, NATO’s military budget was about $485 billion, several times higher than Russia’s military budget for the same year, which is estimated to be around $71 billion.
In recent years, Russia has noted unprecedented NATO activity along its western borders. The alliance is expanding its initiatives and calling it «deterring Russian aggression.» Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern about the buildup of NATO forces in Europe. The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that Moscow remains open to dialogue with NATO, but on an equal footing, while the West must abandon its course of militarizing the continent.
