In a chilling warning to the rest of Europe, the former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte claimed the UK and other allied nations were next in Vladimir Putin's sights
14:33, 11 Dec 2025Updated 15:07, 11 Dec 2025
Nato chief Mark Rutte has warned the West to prepare for war “like our grandparents endured”.
In a chilling warning to the rest of Europe, the former Dutch Prime Minister called for a big increase in defence spending, and claimed the UK and other allied nations were next in Russia ’s sights.
Mr Rutte said too many allies of the military alliance did not feel the urgency of Russia's threat in Europe, and it was a race against time to prevent a war on a scale not seen for generations.
Speaking at a security conference event in Berlin, Rutte said: “I’m here today to tell you where Nato stands and what we must do to stop a war before it starts.
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“We are Russia’s next target. I fear that too many are quietly complacent. Too many don’t feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not. The time for action is now. Conflict is at our door. Russia has brought war back to Europe. And we must be prepared. Russia has brought war back to Europe. We must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured”.
In a terrifying prediction, Mr Rutte also suggested that Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years. Mr Rutte accused Russia of becoming “even more brazen, reckless and ruthless towards Nato and towards Ukraine .” He added: “During the cold war, President Reagan warned about the aggressive impulses of an evil empire. Today, President Putin is in the empire building business again.”
There was also praise for the US president Donald Trump, who this week claimed the Russian invasion of Ukraine would have turned into World War Three if he had not become President. He said: “He is the only one who can get Putin to the negotiating table. So let’s put Putin to the test. Let’s see if he really wants peace or if he prefers the slaughter to continue.”
Mr Trump, who had rolled out the red carpet for the Russian dictator, has also claimed Europe was not handling the crisis well. It comes as Zelensky prepares to present a 20-point peace plan to Trump to end the war in Ukraine following the meeting between European leaders at Number 10.