In a stark warning to the transatlantic alliance, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte cautioned on Thursday that Russia could potentially set its sights on member nations as its next targets.

Rutte, delivering a keynote address at the Bavarian State Representation, hosted by the Munich Security Conference in Germany, evoked the night the Berlin Wall fell as a reminder of the power of unity.

“The forces of oppression are once again advancing,” Rutte declared. “Today, I’m here to outline NATO’s position and the necessary actions to prevent a war from erupting. It’s crucial that we understand the threat clearly — we are Russia’s next target, and we’re already in a precarious position.”

In response to growing security concerns, NATO members have pledged to elevate their defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035. This commitment aligns with former President Donald Trump’s urging for the alliance to take substantial steps in fortifying its defense strategies.

Addressing the assembly, Rutte emphasized that this commitment should not be viewed as an achievement warranting self-praise, especially as Russia continues its aggressive campaign of drone and missile strikes against 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.