Before his departure for Sweden, Rutte described this week's foreign ministers' meeting as a starting point for this summer's NATO summit in Turkey.
Both in Ankara in July and in Helsingborg on Thursday and Friday, the focus is on reconciling NATO's increased target that member countries should spend the equivalent of at least 5 percent of GDP on defense.
The question is no longer whether we should do more, but how quickly we can do it, says Rutte.
Produce more
Accelerating the defense industry is also a major topic.
We need to manufacture faster and on a larger scale on both sides of the Atlantic, says the Secretary-General.
At the same time, he downplays concerns about U.S. troop withdrawals from Europe and instead describes the situation as an ongoing "rebalancing" that is taking place to avoid relying on a single country - the United States.
Europe and Canada are gearing up and, as expected, the US is adapting, says Rutte.
Buzzword
Burden shifting is a clear trend in NATO. U.S. President Donald Trump has long demanded that other countries do more and has a strong supporter in Rutte.
Europe, with Turkey and the UK, has more than 500 million inhabitants... and we are currently overly reliant on an ally with 350 million inhabitants. That is not sustainable in the long term, says the Secretary-General.
He would also like to see a rebalancing of support for Ukraine, where Sweden stands out by giving more than most other countries.
No to Ukraine aid?
Rutte has proposed that everyone should spend the equivalent of 0.25 percent of their GDP on supporting Ukraine - but seems to have already given up.
"It is my role sometimes to put bold proposals on the table. I don't think this will be accepted. But at least we have started the discussion," says the NATO chief in Brussels.
Facts: NATO meeting in Helsingborg
NATO foreign ministers are gathering in Helsingborg this week for a two-day meeting.
On Thursday evening, an informal dinner will be held with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha as a special guest; King Carl Gustaf, Queen Silvia and Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) will also participate.
On Friday, the formal meeting with the foreign ministers of the 32 member states will begin at 10 am. A closing press conference with Secretary-General Mark Rutte will be held at 1:45 pm.
Source: NATO
