NATO accepts peace prize Rutte's full address

May 2025

Zinkann reads NATO's dated 2026 award citation and Frohloff introduces Rutte's complete acceptance address. Rutte accepts for NATO's civilian and military personnel and congratulates socioMovens. He recalls Nieuwpoort, cavalry and the captured-horse trophy as an introduction to strength, speed and endurance. He estimates Russian monthly killed and seriously wounded at over 40,000, attributes European hybrid attacks to Russia and urges stronger defence and increased Ukraine support. His wider threat assessment includes terrorism and China, North Korea and Iran. He discusses the 5%-of-GDP goal, credits Merz's 2025 backing at The Hague, cites additional European and Canadian spending and Germany's planned annual defence investment by 2029, and qualifies that money alone is insufficient. He urges faster industrial production and continuing supplies to Ukraine, sustained investment and teamwork, then reaffirms collective defence and unwavering support. The German interpreted track gives less precise financial periods and currencies than the English original and describes the historical opponent as a German duke; its wording is preserved without importing the English original's missing details.

Rutte's October 1 retrospective credits Merz and his government with a May 2025 decision to support NATO's 5%-of-GDP target for the subsequent Hague summit. He characterizes that backing as an important act of leadership and argues the investment effort benefits Germany, Europe and NATO through security, jobs and opportunity, while qualifying that money alone is insufficient without trained, ready personnel. The source gives no exact decision day, instrument or vote; this is the recalled German position, distinct from the later allied adoption and Rutte's 2026 assessment.