NATO officer says allies must urgently rethink defence, prepare for 'new enemy'

NATO's top military official Pierre Vandier warned allied nations Wednesday that they must fundamentally overhaul their defense strategies and accelerate weapons production to confront an emerging threat. Speaking at a security forum in Paris, Vandier said many member countries have not yet comprehended the full scale of the challenge facing the alliance, emphasizing that the bottleneck is speed rather than financial resources. His remarks reflect NATO's broader shift toward treating great-power competition as an urgent priority, with member states increasingly focused on bolstering military readiness and industrial capacity. The warning comes as NATO faces persistent pressure from Russia and growing concerns about regional instability, pushing the alliance to pressure members to meet defense spending targets and modernize their armed forces.