We have a problem, the United States part of NATO, the Canadian part of NATO, European part of NATO, that we are not producing enough defense industrial products. We are producing in a full year in ammunition what Russia is producing in three months.
Mark Rutte thus justified the need of bigger military budgets by NATO members, saying it was the main topic of discussions between him and Oresident Trump.
"We have not only to ramp up spending, but also the defense industrial production. That includes cutting the red tape, both in the US and here in Europe," he added.
Russia has continuously warned Europe and the United States that their military support for Ukraine is an impediment to the peace process and a step toward NATO’s direct involvement in the conflict. Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia estimated in January that the EU had spent $47 billion on military aid for Ukraine since 2022.