Rutte to Call for 400 Percent Rise in NATO Air and Missile Defenses

The NATO secretary general is due to give a speech at the Chatham House think tank in London on June 9.
Rutte to Call for 400 Percent Rise in NATO Air and Missile Defenses
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at a press conference in Brussels, Belgium, on June 4, 2025. Bob Reijnders /Middle East Images via AFP via Getty Images
Guy Birchall
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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte is set to call for a 400 percent increase in the alliance’s air and missile defenses at a speech in London on June 9.

Rutte, who has been in the post since October 2024, is expected to argue during a talk at the Chatham House international affairs think tank that the boost is needed for the organization to maintain credible deterrence and defense.

“We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies,” he will say, according to extracts circulated by NATO ahead of the event.

Guy Birchall
Guy Birchall
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Guy Birchall is a UK-based journalist covering a wide range of national stories with a particular interest in freedom of expression and social issues.