NATO Chief Rutte Says ‘Wartime Mindset’ Needed In Europe, Calls For Funding Military With ‘Pensions, Health, Social Security’
“European countries spend up to a quarter of their national income on pensions, health and social security systems. We need […] that money to make our defenses much stronger.”
The following report was first published on December 16th, 2024, on winepressnews.com:
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, the former Prime Minister of The Netherlands, recently said that Europe needs to “shift to a wartime mindset” and that military expenditures must increase, even perhaps at the cost of things such as healthcare and retirement funds.
Rutte made these remarks at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Brussels, Belgium. The event was titled, “To Prevent War, NATO Must Dial Up its Defenses.”
Rutte began his speech by once again repeating the ‘Western collectivist’ narrative, sort of speak, that “[Russian President Vladimir] Putin is trying to wipe Ukraine off the map. He is trying to fundamentally change the security architecture that has kept Europe safe for decades. And he is trying to crush our freedom and way of life,” he remarked.
He went on to say that Russia’s economy has become a wartime economy, and that “Russia is preparing for [a] long-term confrontation. With Ukraine. And with us,” he warned.
He added:
“Russia, China, but also North Korea and Iran, are hard at work to try to weaken North America and Europe. To chip away at our freedom. They want to reshape the global order. Not to create a fairer one, but to secure their own spheres of influence.
“They are testing us. And the rest of the world is watching. No, we are not at war. But we are certainly not at peace either.”
Rutte tried to reassure the audience that NATO is not under direct immediate threat from Russia right now, but the NATO chief did argue that peace could end swiftly and therefore NATO needs to bolster its defense and its spending to prepare for imminent aggression. He said: “We can prevent the next big war on NATO territory. And preserve our way of life. This requires us all to be faster and fiercer. It is time to shift to a wartime mindset. And turbo-charge our defence production and defence spending.”
Rutte then went on to complain that NATO and European national defenses are not up to par and must scale quickly. He called upon citizens to demand that their governments erase barriers that would allow banks and private interests to invest even more into defense contracting and weapons manufacturing. Rutte went so far as to say that Europeans should consign a portion of their Social Security, pensions and healthcare funds to fund Europe’s war machine.
The Secretary-General stated:
“I also say to governments:
Stop creating barriers between each other and between industries, banks and pension funds.
Instead, tear these barriers down.
They only increase production costs, stifle innovation and ultimately hamper our security.“To the defence industry I say:
You need to do everything you can to keep us safe.
There’s money on the table, and it will only increase.
So dare to innovate and take risks!
Come up with solutions to the swarms of drones and other new war tactics.
Put in the extra shifts and new production lines!“And finally, to the citizens of NATO countries, especially in Europe, I say:
Tell your banks and pension funds it is simply unacceptable that they refuse to invest in the defence industry.
Defence is not in the same category as illicit drugs and pornography.
Investing in defence is an investment in our security.
It’s a must!“And this brings me to my main point.
Defence spending.“It is true that we spend more on defence now than we did a decade ago.
But we are still spending far less than during the Cold War.
Even though the threats to our freedom and security are just as big – if not bigger.“[…] I know spending more on defence means spending less on other priorities.
But it is only a little less.
On average, European countries easily spend up to a quarter of their national income on pensions, health and social security systems.
We need a small fraction of that money to make our defences much stronger, and to preserve our way of life.“[…] If we don’t spend more together now to prevent war, we will pay a much, much, much higher price later to fight it.
Not billions, but trillions of euros.
That’s if we come out on top…and that’s if we win.“[…] Today, I call for your support.
Action is urgent.
To protect our freedom, our prosperity, and our way of life, your politicians need to listen to your voices.
Tell them you accept to make sacrifices today so that we can stay safe tomorrow.
Tell them they need to spend more on defence so that we can continue to live in peace.
Tell them that security matters more than anything.”
Additionally, during the Q&A portion of the event, Rutte emphasized that “NATO is not an offensive Alliance. It is a defensive Alliance,” he said. “We want peace, but peace through strength, to quote a famous American politician. And that means that you need the money and you need the industrial base.”
Addressing another question, Rutte added “it is also important to realise that you should not have new barriers and that you need a strong transatlantic defence industry community.” Rutte discussed his visits to companies such as German-based Rheinmetall (this one stationed in Italy) and their production capabilities; and recounting comments made to him by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, where she apparently said, ‘Oh, this great is one of our best [sic]. But no, don’t forget Leonardo, also a great Italian industry, obviously.’
By the numbers, defense contractors in Europe and the United States have profited handsomely from the war in Ukraine. Rheinmetall, for example, reported record profits and expectations for continued growth, citing a 91% operating profit in its financial report for the first half of 2024. To close out 2021, the company’s market cap sat at around a little more than $4 billion; but since the war in Ukraine, Rheinmetall’s market cap rocketed to roughly $26.8 billion in August. Clearly investors see the potential for great returns on investment.
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG, said of the company’s performance, “We have never seen such growth. We also expect annual sales growth of around two billion euros in the coming years. This very positive development is only possible because we invested early and have been following a strategic plan since 2014 – when Crimea was invaded.”
Moreover, in August, The WinePress reported that the top 15 leading defense contractors are primed to net record profits, and are projecting even more investment because of more war.
AUTHOR COMMENTARY
Psalm 140:1 Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man; [2] Which imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war. [3] They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah.
Your eyes did not just deceive you: this crazy man, this disgraced failed dictator who mandated that Dutch farmers have their lands sequestered and livestock slaughtered to meet made-up emissions regulations, just told you that you need to give up your livelihood to go and bankroll the military industrial complex. As if the lives of the typical European and American were not hard enough already; as if the defense offensive contractors were not already oozing with record sales, more than they know what to do with; as if the around 650,000 dead Ukrainian men weren’t enough – now this poindexter wants to talk tough and demand people ‘voluntarily’ hand over what little savings and social services they have left for “the greater good,” for so-called “peace,” he tells us?
Who is buying this nonsense?
Something else that Rutte addressed in the Q&A was the issue of Donald Trump, and he actually admitted that when Trump was in office the first time he did more to boost NATO than previous administrations. Rutte said:
“What he wants is to make sure that that the US is not overspending and we are not doing enough. And he’s totally right. I mean, I remember when he became President in 2016, 2017 that he continued to push us. And since he became president, we spent 641 billion more than before he came on. That’s an advocate of what we are spending more since, since then and since 2014 it was very sluggish. The uptake of moving to the 2% since he became president, we accelerated, of course, the full onslaught, the full-scale onslaught of Russia and Ukraine, has also ramped up defence spending, but he was very successful in ramping it up. He will again push us.
“But my point is this, I don’t want to spend more because he wants, we have to spend more because our deterrence is at stake. Our security is at stake. Our collective defence is not what it should be, and we are in real difficulty in four or five years. That is why we need to spend more, not because of Donald Trump, but he is right. We need to do more.
“And by the way, what we need from him. I have a big ask from Donald Trump, and this is about the US industrial defence capacity. I know as Prime Minister of the Netherlands how difficult it is to buy anything in the US, be it Patriots or missiles, whatever you have to go through Congress and the Senate. No, sorry, the Congress, the Pentagon and the White House, they all have to agree. And as I said, we have our 184 billion we are spending since 2022, European Allies in the US, that can be even more. I’m absolutely convinced if he would make it easier for European Allies to buy in the US. So, this is something he can help with, and it helps also his own economy. But I know, I think he was spot on on forcing us to spend more. But again, let’s not do it now because he wants it. We do it because we need to do it. It’s our collective defence which is at stake.”
And there you have it. If you believe Trump is anti-war and is a non-politician, that he is some grassroots man fighting for the people, then you have drank the Kool-Aid because nothing could be farther from the truth. And him pushing and funding NATO is just one aspect of it: I’ve documented his blatant acts of vastly increasing and funding the military industrial complex more than his predecessors; and his latest cabinet picks, and his and their statements, prove that he is totally gung-ho for more war. Michael Tracy has a good article detailing Trump’s support for NATO while he was in office.
You don’t need me to tell you this, but the war is going to greatly expand in 2025. I don’t expect Ukraine to come to an end like Trump has tried to claim he will end on the first day of his Presidency, and I think it is likely the U.S. will get involved in warring with China over Taiwan and The Philippines, so they tell us.
Mark 13:7 And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. [8] For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.
[7] Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? [8] Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? [9] For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? [10] Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. (1 Corinthians 9:7-10).
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Wow, it sounds like they're learning from Pelosi, Schumer, Clintons, Obamas, Maxine and many other corrupt leaders in U.S. how to rip off the people to put more money in their own pockets. The world is gong to hell in a handbasket and pdq.
Really? I thought your Grand Golden New Age NW(D)O. The D is for Disorder was going to bring peace? So now you will starve your own people just to save your worthless carcases?
Doing a NYS Hochul, all who are on Medicare instead of getting a raise in their Social Security saw a $100 deduction in their checks I make less now than I did last year even with the raise.
May your people turn on you.