NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte issued a stark warning to the alliance’s members on Thursday, cautioning that they could become Russia’s next target. This alert comes at a time when unity among nations is more crucial than ever.

Speaking at a significant event hosted by the Munich Security Conference at the Bavarian State Representation in Germany, Rutte drew on historical moments of unity, such as the fall of the Berlin Wall, to emphasize the importance of standing together against threats.

“The dark forces of oppression are on the march again,” Rutte declared. “I’m here today to outline NATO’s stance and what actions we must take to prevent a war from igniting. To achieve this, we must clearly understand the threat we face. We are Russia’s next target, and the danger is already upon us.”

In response to these growing threats, NATO members made a significant commitment in June to raise defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035. This decision aligns with former President Donald Trump’s previous calls for increased efforts to strengthen the alliance’s security.

However, Rutte cautioned that this increase in defense spending should not be seen as a cause for self-congratulation, especially as Russia continues its aggressive drone and missile assaults on Ukraine.

Rutte told attendees that the move wasn’t a moment for self-congratulations as Russia continues its large-scale drone and missile attacks on Ukraine.

“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 said.

The NATO chief urged allies to boost defense spending and production, saying their armed forces must have the resources needed to protect their homelands, and cautioning that Moscow could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years.

A Polish Army soldier sits in a tank as a NATO flag flies behind during the NATO Noble Jump VJTF exercises on June 18, 2015, in Zagan, Poland. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

“We must all accept that we must act to defend our way of life, now. Because this year, Russia has become even more brazen, reckless and ruthless towards NATO and towards Ukraine,” Rutte added. “During the Cold War, President Reagan warned about the aggressive impulses of an evil empire. Today, President Putin is in the empire building business again.”

Poland accused Russia of being responsible for a railway blast on its Warsaw-Lublin line in November.

A Koleje Mazowieckie train sits on the tracks with police tape nearby as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk visits the site of a blast on the Warsaw-Lublin line in Mika, Poland, Nov. 17, 2025. (KPRM/Handout via REUTERS)

Prime Minister Donald Tusk said an investigation into the incident found that Russian Secret Services “commissioned the blast of the Polish railway and recruited two Ukrainians to do it.”

The railway blast was the latest in a string of security incidents in Eastern Europe, following airspace incursions in September that saw Russian drones enter Poland and three MiG-31 fighter jets cross into Estonia before being intercepted by NATO aircraft.