Russia is producing as much ammunition in three months as all NATO members do in a year, underscoring growing concerns over the alliance’s industrial capacity.
The warning came from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during an interview at the Chatham House think tank in London, where he emphasized the urgent need to ramp up production to prepare for potential future conflicts.
“Russia is reconstituting its forces with Chinese technology and producing more weapons faster than we thought,” he said.
A recent report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies revealed that Moscow spent 13.1 trillion rubles ($145.9 billion) on its military in 2024, equivalent to 6.7 percent of its GDP and a 41 percent increase compared to the previous year.
By contrast, NATO urges its members to allocate at least 2 percent of GDP to defense, with Poland leading at 4.12 percent, followed by Estonia (3.43 percent) and the US (3.38 percent).
‘Russia Could Attack in 5 Years’
Calls to boost defense spending and production come amid growing fears that Russia could target a NATO member state following its invasion of Ukraine.
A 2024 assessment by German military intelligence suggested a potential attack could occur by 2026, though it did not identify a specific target.
Germany, given its proximity to Russia, is weighing the reintroduction of conscription for 18-year-olds to bolster its forces.
Meanwhile, a high-ranking British Army officer has warned that the UK military is currently too small to withstand a full-scale war, adding that civilians could be called up in the event of a major conflict.
Rutte estimated that Russia could be in a position to threaten NATO within five years, especially as it continues to fight a Western-backed Ukraine.
He urged alliance members to consider raising defense spending to 5 percent of GDP to deter future aggression.
