The chief of NATO Mark Rutte has made a chilling comment about Russia’s ‘next target’.
This comes as a ‘strike list’ of 23 UK towns and cities of potential ‘targets’ for Vladimir Putin was released.
Shared by a high-ranking Russian official, it was suggested that it could soon become ‘deadly dangerous’ to be in our nation. And Rutte seems to be inferring that the danger could be wider spread across the international organisation.
It’s no secret that global tensions with Putin seem to have ramped up in recent years, with plenty of scary talk of a ‘World War Three’ and various threats flying around.
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And Rutte has said that there’s too many NATO members who have remained ‘quietly complacent’ about the threat posed by Russia.
Speaking in Berlin today (11 December), the NATO secretary general warned in his opening lines: “I’m here today to tell you where NATO stands and what we must do to stop a war before it starts. And to do that, we need to be crystal clear about the threat: we are Russia’s next target, and we are already in harm’s way.”
He went on to say that while the decision to accelerate defence spending was all well and good, it’s not a ‘time for self-congratulation’.
“I fear that too many [NATO members] are quietly complacent. Too many don’t feel the urgency,” Rutte continued.
“And too many believe that time is on our side. It is not. The time for action is now. Allied defence spending and production must rise rapidly. Our armed forces must have what they need to keep us safe.”
Calling China a ‘lifeline’ for Russia and listing North Korea and Iran as supporters, Rutte praised Donald Trump for his efforts as he said the US president 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,” he added. And while it might feel like we unfortunately know the answer to that, Rutte said it’s important that ‘all of us keep up the pressure on Russia and support the genuine efforts to bring this war [with Ukraine] to an end’.
This comes as a senior Russian politician shared a list of 23 UK targets for missile strikes.
The sites on the list were a mix of military and industrial hubs across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland and lifted directly from the UK government’s 'Defence Industrial Strategy 2025' paper.
Former Russian deputy prime minister Dmitry Rogozin posted the map highlighting potential targets with a scathing message
He said: "Former British Defence Minister Ben Wallace on what Kyiv and its NATO allies should do to end the military actions: 'We must help Ukraine acquire long-range capabilities to make Crimea uninhabitable. We need to strangle Crimea'.
"What a sober minister has in mind, a former one has on his tongue. However, it is even good that they reveal their true intentions. It is useful to read this for those of us who still consider peace with imperialist aggressors possible.
"And my advice to our [Russian] oligarchs: do not send your children to study in England! It is deadly dangerous."
‘Strike list’ in full
- Glasgow – BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Thales
- Belfast – Harland & Wolff, Spirit Aerosystems, Thales
- Fivemiletown – Cooneen Defence
- Barrow-in-Furness – BAE Systems
- Bolton – MBDA
- Telford – RBSL
- Aberporth – QinetiQ, Tekever
- Merthyr Tydfil – General Dynamics
- Glascoed – BAE Systems
- Bristol – Airbus, BAE Systems, GKN Aerospace, Leonardo, MBDA, QinetiQ, Rolls-Royce
- HMNB Devonport – Babcock
- Yeovil – Leonardo
- Aldermaston – AWE
- London – Helsing, Palantir
- Stevenage – Airbus, MBDA
- Ampthill – Lockheed Martin
- Derby – Rolls-Royce
- Sheffield – Sheffield Forgemasters
- Warton & Samlesbury – BAE Systems
- Newton Aycliffe – Octric Semiconductors
- Tyne & Wear – BAE Systems, Leonardo
- Edinburgh – Leonardo
- Rosyth – Babcock, QinetiQ
Jess Battison