Russia will be ready to attack NATO by 2030, the alliance’s general secretary Mark Rutte has warned. The NATO chief was speaking today at Chatham House and said that there is no longer “east or west”, there is simply NATO as he urged members to spend more on defence.

Mr Rutte referenced the speed and lethality of Russia‘s missile arsenal as he called to reemphasise the need for nations to prepare for the possibility of war. He said: “Russia is reconstituting its forces with Chinese technology and producing more weapons faster than we thought. In terms of ammunition, Russia produces in three months what the whole of NATO produces in a year… Russia could be ready to use military force against NATO within five years. Five years.

“We are all on the eastern flank now.

“The new generation of Russian missiles travel at many times the speed of sound. The distance between European capitals is only a matter of minutes. There is no longer east or west. There is just NATO.”

He added: “Let’s not kid ourselves, we are all on the eastern flank. There is no east or west, there is just NATO.

“The distance between European capitals is only a few minutes.”

He warned that the impact of a Russian attack would be devastating.

He said: “We are deadly serious that if anyone tries to attack us, the consequences of that attack would be devastating, be it Russia or anyone else.

“This is not only about money and weaponry but mentality. We do realise there is a lot at stake here. The people trying to act against us must understand that.”

Mr Rutte also praised the UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) which laid out plans to increase in a host of areas crucial to the nation’s defence.

He added: I’m really impressed by the strategic defence review. It’s exactly what we need. The drones, the latest technology, investing in six factories producing ammunition.

“This is at the core of the UK defence review, including spending targets.”

Rutte said: “I expect allied leaders will agree to spend 5% of GDP on defence. It will be a Nato-wide commitment and a defining moment for the alliance.

“There are two parts to this new defence spending plan: 3.5% will be invested in our core military requirements, the rest will go towards defence and security-related investments, including infrastructure and building industrial capacity.

“5% is not some figure plucked from the air. It’s grounded in hard facts.

“The fact is we need a quantum leap in our defence. The fact is we must have more forces and capability to implement our defence plans in full.”

The SDR set out how the government plans to arm the Armed Forces over the next decade and prepare them and wider society for the prospect of war with Russia or other adversaries.

Following the release, the MOD announced billions of pounds worth of investment in munitions factories, service accommodation, AI and cyber as part of a plan to develop the military for the modern battlefield.

The authors of the review indicated that the government’s pledge to spend 3% of GDP on defence in the next parliament was crucial in allowing them to go as far as they did with the recommendations laid out in the report.