NATO boss Mark Rutte says we must all prepare for a world war-level conflict with Russia. A senior British minister has echoed the call. The UK and European population don’t get a say, it seems. Rutte delivered a fearmongering speech at a conference in Munich:

The full transcript is here. He said:

We must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents or great-grandparents endured

Rutte painted a grim picture:

Imagine it, a conflict reaching every home, every workplace, destruction, mass mobilisation, millions displaced, widespread suffering and extreme losses.

As ever, the speech was a pitch for massive hikes in military spending:

Allied defence spending and production must rise rapidly, our armed forces must have what they need to keep us safe, and Ukraine must have what it needs to defend itself – now.

NATO casts the shadow of war?

UK defence minister Al Carns echoed Rutte’s comments. Carns is a former marine who war-horny Labour MPs have been gushing over. They see him as their next leader.

Carns said:

The shadow of war is knocking on Europe’s door once more. That’s the reality. We’ve got to be prepared to deter it.

For Carns, the whole of society would have to be recruited to this hypothetical war:

There’s a whole load of work going on now between us [Ministry of Defence], the Cabinet Office, and the whole of society approach, and what conflict means, and what everybody’s role in society means if we were to go to war and the build up to war.

It’s not clear who these people think they’re kidding. War expenditure is already vast — and rising. Wars are underway (or about to break out) in many locations around the world.

Less war, not more

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute warns military spending spiked again in 2024. Global arms firms are the only winners there. At the moment, there is war in Ukraine and western-backed genocides in Gaza and Sudan. Meanwhile, the UK has started to re-shape its economy around war. And the Trump administration is preparing for an assault in oil-rich Venezuela.

And let’s not forget: war with Russia is a potential nuclear conflict.

The world is a dangerous place but the answer to that is not throwing money at arms firms. Far from protecting us, the UN claims the sheer vastness of war spending is actively pulling us towards war. UN chief Antonio Guterres said in September 2025:

At this critical moment, the international community must confront the stark reality that rising military expenditures are not yielding greater peace but are instead undermining our shared vision for a sustainable future.

There is ample fighting in the world right now. All in all, there are more than enough profits for arms firms already. Ultimately, more wars will deepen poverty and inequality. And it follows that a NATO hot war in Europe will empower far-right and fascist parties and governments around the world. Not to mention the nuclear potential…

Rutte and Carns might be okay with that calculation. There’s no reason we should be.

Featured image via Dutch News

By Joe Glenton

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