On Thursday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte alerted members of the transatlantic alliance that they may become Russia’s subsequent target.

Addressing the Bavarian State Representation during the Munich Security Conference in Germany, Rutte recalled the Berlin Wall’s fall as a testament to unity’s strength.

“Oppressive dark forces are advancing once again. I’m here to articulate NATO’s stance and necessary actions to prevent war before it begins. To accomplish that, we must be absolutely clear about the threat. We are Russia’s next target, and we are already in jeopardy,” he declared.

In June, NATO members pledged to elevate defense expenditures to 5% of GDP by 2035, responding to President ’s appeals for enhanced security measures.

Rutte informed participants that this decision warranted no self-congratulation, as Russia persists with extensive drone and missile attacks.

“I worry that many remain quietly complacent, lacking urgency, and mistakenly believing time is on our side when it is not,” he stated.

The NATO leader pressed allies to increase defense spending and production, asserting that armed forces require adequate resources to defend their nations, and warning that Moscow could be prepared to employ military force against NATO within five years.

“We must acknowledge that immediate action is required to defend our way of life, because this year Russia has grown more brazen, reckless, and ruthless toward NATO and Ukraine,” Rutte added. “During the Cold War, President Reagan cautioned about an evil empire’s aggressive impulses. Today, President Putin is again engaged in empire-building.”

Poland attributed responsibility to Russia for on its Warsaw-Lublin railway line in November.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that an investigation determined Russian Secret Services ordered the Polish railway explosion and recruited two Ukrainians to execute it.

The railway explosion represented the most recent in a series of security incidents in , following September airspace violations where Russian drones entered Poland and three MiG-31 fighter jets crossed into Estonia before NATO aircraft intercepted them.