// SECURITY: RUSSIA, UKRAINE AND EUROPE
As geopolitical competition intensifies and defence demand accelerates, strengthening transatlantic defence cooperation and expanding industrial capacity will be essential to sustaining credible deterrence and long-term security NATO’s defence industrial revolution: a transatlantic endeavour for our shared security
Mark Rutte, NATO secretary general
S oon after I became secretary general of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in October 2024, I shared my belief that the security situation was undoubtedly the worst in my lifetime. I wish I could say otherwise today, but the world continues to experience extreme insecurity. We face a revanchist Russia waging a war of aggression against Ukraine, an assertive China, a threatening North Korea and a danger- ous Iran that has pursued a nuclear and ballistic missile programme for years. Our southern neigh- bourhood is volatile and terrorism remains a persistent threat. In turbulent times, collective defence lies at the core of our security, and NATO is needed more than ever. History has taught us that transatlantic defence, which is at the heart of NATO, is the great- est shield against aggression, and the only way to preserve our freedom and security. Now, faced with real and lasting dangers, NATO allies are redoubling efforts to strengthen this shield. At the NATO summit in The Hague last year, we agreed to significantly step up investments in defence – to reach 5% of gross domestic product annually by 2035. Clearly, more money is flow- ing in. European Allies and Canada have more than doubled their defence spending since 2014;
22 // G7 FRANCE: THE ÉVIAN SUMMIT 2026
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