NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte travelled to Germany on 27-28 August to speak at the opening ceremony of a new Rheinmetall artillery plant and address a conference of the CDU/CSU and SPD parliamentary groups from the German Bundestag.
In his address at the factory on Wednesday, the Secretary General highlighted the critical role of defence industry for the Alliance's security and emphasised the need to ramp up defence production in an increasingly turbulent security environment. "Defence industry in Germany - and across Europe and North America - matters more than ever. Ensuring we are strong and successful is an absolute priority for NATO," Mr Rutte said. "Europe and America together are on course to turn the tide on defence production."
On Thursday (28 August 2025), Mr Rutte spoke with CDU/CSU and SPD parliamentary groups at their conference in Würzburg, emphasising that Germany's leadership - including on defence investment and production - is a driving force for Europe and NATO. He also thanked Germany for its consistent support to Ukraine - providing the second largest contribution of military aid after the United States - which is essential to Ukraine's continued efforts to defend against Russian aggression and pursue a just and lasting peace.
