NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte visited Berlin for meetings with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, using the trip to call for faster increases in defence expenditure and industrial output across the Alliance.
Rutte thanked Germany for its military contributions to NATO and for its support to Ukraine. He presented Germany’s growing defence role as an example of the wider shift expected from European Allies as they assume more responsibility for their own security within NATO.
Later, during an event hosted by the Munich Security Conference, the Secretary General argued that spending increases must be matched by greater production. He said Allied armed forces need enough equipment and ammunition to meet NATO defence requirements, while Ukraine must continue receiving what it needs to defend itself.
The Berlin visit reinforced one of NATO’s main messages following the 2025 Hague Summit: political commitments on defence spending need to produce additional forces, equipment, industrial capacity and readiness rather than remain financial targets alone.