NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday urged alliance members to significantly boost military spending, warning that Russia could pose a direct threat within five years.

“Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within 5 years. Let’s not kid ourselves, we’re all on the eastern flank now,” Rutte said in a speech at Chatham House in London on Monday. 

Rutte said NATO needs a 400% increase in air and missile defense capabilities to protect against potential Russian attacks.

He also proposed that NATO members allocate 5% of their GDP to defense—3.5% for conventional forces and 1.5% for areas such as cybersecurity.

“Our militaries also need thousands more armored vehicles and tanks, millions more artillery shells, and we must double our enabling capabilities, such as logistics, supply, transportation, and medical support,” Rutte added.

Rutte expects leaders to endorse the proposal at the NATO summit in The Hague on June 24–25, a meeting he believes will “transform” the alliance. 

The proposal is reportedly a response to U.S. demands, especially from President Donald Trump, who has pressured NATO allies to increase their contributions and once threatened to leave the alliance over the issue.

Several NATO members are already increasing budgets: the U.K. aims to raise spending to 3% of GDP by 2030 while Canada plans to meet the 2% target this year. Southern countries like Italy and Spain support the 5% goal.

Rutte’s statement comes a week after NATO defense ministers approved a 30 percent increase in military equipment requirements to strengthen the alliance’s regional defense plans against a potential Russian attack.

While the details remain classified, Rutte previously said key priorities include air and missile defense, large-scale land force formations, long-range capabilities, and logistics.

Meanwhile, Russia criticized Rutte, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters in Moscow that NATO “is demonstrating itself as an instrument of aggression and confrontation.”