Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, said there is no alternative to increasing defense spending, given the threats from Russia and other states.

Ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague, Mark Rutte underlined the importance of increased defense spending, citing long-term threats from Russia and the expansion of China's armed forces. He also cited the support of countries like North Korea and Iran for the war effort in Ukraine. Rutte said the issue would be high on the agenda of the world leaders' meeting. US President Donald Trump has previously called on NATO members to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP.