NATO chief Mark Rutte has warned that a simultaneous military strike by China and Russia could plunge the world into a devastating new global conflict.
In a stark assessment, the former Dutch Prime Minister suggested that Chinese leader Xi Jinping could attempt to seize Taiwan while urging Vladimir Putin to launch a parallel attack on NATO territory — potentially sparking World War Three.
“Let’s not be naïve about this,” Rutte told the New York Times.
“If Xi Jinping would attack Taiwan, he would first make sure that he makes a call to his very junior partner in all of this, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, residing in Moscow, and telling him, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this, and I need you to keep them busy in Europe by attacking NATO territory.’
“That is most likely the way this will progress.”
The dire warning comes amid growing fears that Putin may be eyeing the Baltic states — Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania — all NATO members and formerly part of the Soviet Union.
Rutte said the West must act urgently to deter such a scenario by strengthening its defences and increasing cooperation with allies in the Indo-Pacific.
“One [deterrent] is that NATO, collectively, being so strong that the Russians will never do this,” he said. “And second, working together with the Indo-Pacific – something President [Donald] Trump is very much promoting, because we have this close interconnectedness.”
He went on to praise Trump’s diplomatic approach, saying: “He is the one who broke the deadlock with Putin. When he became president in January, he started these discussions with Putin, and he was the only one who was able to do this.
“This had to happen. A direct dialogue between the American president and the president of the Russian Federation.
“We are not there yet, and that means that in the meantime you have to make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to stay in the fight.”
Trump has held direct talks with Vladimir Putin in a bid to bring an end to the war in Ukraine. The US president is understood to have discussed possible terms for a ceasefire during recent communications with the Kremlin leader.
SG Rutte has clearly gorged on too many of the magic mushrooms beloved by the Dutch. He sees collusion between China & Russia over Taiwan, and then a Russian attack on Europe. But he's right about one thing: he should learn Russian. It might come in handy in a Siberian camp
— Dmitry Medvedev (@MedvedevRussiaE) July 5, 2025
However, Rutte warned that Russia is ramping up military production at a rate far outpacing the West.
“They are now producing three times as much ammunition in three months as the whole of NATO is doing in a year,” he said.
“This is unsustainable, but the Russians are working together with the North Koreans, with the Chinese and Iranians, the mullahs, in fighting this unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine.”
The Kremlin hit back furiously, with former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev mocking the NATO chief.
“Rutte has clearly gorged on too many of the magic mushrooms beloved by the Dutch,” he posted on X.
“He sees collusion between China & Russia over Taiwan, and then a Russian attack on Europe.
“But he’s right about one thing: he should learn Russian. It might come in handy in a Siberian camp.”
The clash comes as Russia continues its brutal campaign against Ukraine. Over the weekend, Putin launched a fresh wave of strikes, firing four S-300 missiles and 157 drones, 127 of which were intercepted or jammed by electronic warfare.
Explosions rocked Kyiv and surrounding regions, injuring multiple people and damaging residential buildings. In Kharkiv, a two-year-old child and a 46-year-old woman were among the wounded.
Russian forces also attacked Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region as the war shows no sign of slowing.
