NATO Secretary Mark Rutte urged allies to slash administrative hurdles to rapidly expanding the alliance’s defence capabilities.
“We need a bonfire of red tape in our procurement and in our cross-border regulation,” Rutte said on Tuesday at an arms industry fair in Ankara which is part of the alliance’s annual leaders’ summit.
“Both government and industry must continue investing in production capacity. Governments must also create the conditions for industry to expand and cooperate,” he said.
In 2025, European allies and Canada reported an annual increase in their defence expenditure of 20%, or an extra $139 billion, Rutte said, but industrial capacities would have to grow rapidly to meet the growing demand.
NATO is also to release “for the first time a consolidated demand signal outlining our requirements,” Rutte said.
NATO allies aim to spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence and related expenses by 2035 in a bid to quickly boost defence capacity.
The race to rearm is meant to put NATO in a better position to respond to the threat posed by Russia, and to keep up with the armament efforts by other global players.
“We are moving in the right direction. The strategy is clear, but the match is far from over. And to win it, we need all team members to pull their weight,” Rutte said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte arrives to attend the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum in Ankara. (is associated with: «NATO’s Rutte calls for ‘bonfire of red tape’ in arms procurement») Emmi Korhonen/Lehtikuva/dpa