Europe urged to be ‘ready’ for conflict towards bloodthirsty Putin amid conflict fears
NATO boss has said war was no longer a distant concern but something “at our door”, and cautioned that Europe risked repeating the darkest chapters of its history if it failed to act
NATO’s new secretary general Mark Rutte has delivered one of the alliance’s starkest warnings yet, urging European nations to prepare themselves for the possibility of open conflict with Russia. Speaking in Berlin, Germany, on Thursday (December 11), Rutte said war was no longer a distant concern but something “at our door”.
He also cautioned that Europe risked repeating the darkest chapters of its history if it failed to act. Moreover, Rutte criticised what he described as a lingering sense of complacency within several NATO member states despite Russia’s continued aggression.
“We are Russia’s next target,” he said. “I fear that too many are quietly complacent.
“Too many don’t feel the urgency. And too many believe that time is on our side.
“It is not. The time for action is now.”
He argued that Russia could be ready to use force directly against NATO within five years, adding: “Conflict is at our door.
“Russia has brought war back to Europe. And we must be prepared.”
Rutte urged governments to accelerate defence spending, boost weapons manufacturing, and strengthen deterrence measures to ensure Europe is capable of responding to any escalation from Vladimir Putin. His comments came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held urgent talks with officials from around 30 nations supporting Kyiv’s efforts to secure fair conditions for ending the war.
Leaders from Germany, Britain, and France were expected to join the discussions via video link as part of the so-called coalition of the willing. Zelensky suggested the talks were convened swiftly as Ukrainian officials work to avoid being boxed in by pressure from Washington.
The US president said on Wednesday (December 10) that he and European leaders had recently discussed proposals “in pretty strong terms”, adding that Zelensky “has to be realistic” about Ukraine ’s stance on a peace plan that could involve ceding territory to Russia. Nevertheless, He did not provide further details.
The push for a settlement has taken longer than Washington hoped. Earlier deadlines for progress passed without significant breakthroughs, and US Present Donald Trump’s initial target for Kyiv to accept his plan before Thanksgiving also came and went.
Russia, meanwhile, is reportedly seeking to show Washington that it is engaging with diplomacy in an attempt to avert further sanctions. Foreign minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow had presented the US with “additional proposals concerning collective security guarantees”.
He added: “We understand that when discussing security guarantees, we cannot limit ourselves to Ukraine alone.” The Kremlin has not released further information on the proposals.
While political manoeuvring continued, Ukraine launched one of its largest drone operations of the nearly four-year war. Flights in and out of all four Moscow airports were suspended for seven hours, and airports in eight other Russian cities faced restrictions.
The Russian defence ministry said its air defences intercepted 287 Ukrainian drones across multiple regions. Analysts say Ukraine’s ability to strike deep inside Russian territory challenges the Kremlin’s narrative that it holds overwhelming military dominance.
Despite launching its full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has taken only about 20% of Ukraine. European leaders said negotiations were at “a critical moment”, and Zelensky confirmed that Ukraine will work with European countries on a bilateral basis next week.
“Ukraine is working swiftly,” he said.
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