Rutte said increased industrial output would directly support NATO’s deterrence and defence posture. “When you, all of you, produce more, our deterrence and defence posture is stronger, and we are all safer,” he said.
The forum was organised by the United States and brought together more than 50 U.S. companies and Belgian industry representatives. NATO said the event was intended to strengthen transatlantic defence cooperation.
Rutte highlighted the plan agreed by Allies at last year’s NATO Summit in The Hague to invest 5% of GDP in defence. He said the upcoming NATO Summit in Ankara should focus on concrete deliverables.
“Cash is crucial. But next month’s Summit in Ankara will not only be about cash, it has to be about the combat ready capabilities and significantly scaling up our defence industries,” Rutte said.
The Secretary General said investment in the defence industry supports security, economies and jobs. He also stressed the importance of cooperation between defence industries on both sides of the Atlantic.
“The bottom line is that our defence – this is my absolute conviction – is strongest when we combine the ideas, when we combine the assets, the industries we have across the Alliance on both sides of the Atlantic,” Rutte said.
On the same day in Brussels, Rutte also met the Conference of Presidents at the European Parliament. The session was chaired by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.
Rutte said cooperation between NATO and the European Union is essential to protect the security and freedom of citizens. In his opening remarks, he said European Allies are stepping up to strengthen collective security and build a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.
The Secretary General said NATO remains the cornerstone of European security. He said the Ankara Summit next month would show that Allies are investing more in defence, accelerating industrial production and sustaining support for Ukraine.
Rutte also stressed the need to re-energise the defence industrial base and accelerate innovation. He welcomed the European Union’s efforts to boost European defence readiness.
Taken together, the two NATO statements pointed to a shared focus on higher defence investment, stronger industrial capacity and closer transatlantic and NATO-EU cooperation. Rutte’s remarks linked production, innovation and readiness with the Alliance’s wider effort to strengthen deterrence and support Ukraine.
