North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Secretary General Mark Rutte: Putin has 140 million people, while NATO countries together have about 930 million people. In every aspect, we are now stronger than Russia.
From the perspective of population size, Rutte is comparing who is stronger with Russia. What message is he trying to convey?
NATO Secretary General Rutte, by comparing population data (Russia at 140 million vs. NATO countries at 930 million), mainly aims to convey the following layers of information:
* Population size is often seen as one of the basic indicators of a country's comprehensive strength. Rutte uses this to emphasize the overwhelming advantage that NATO has over Russia in terms of human resources, economic volume, and military potential mobilization, indirectly responding to public attention on the "comparison of NATO and Russian strength" during the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
* In the context of the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, Rutte is deliberately conveying to the public of NATO member states that "the alliance has long-term resilience to deal with Russia," alleviating anxiety among some European countries regarding the Russian military threat and consolidating their trust in the collective defense system.
* By publicly quantifying the advantage, Rutte sends a message to NATO's adversaries, especially Russia, that they would face disproportionate costs if they confront NATO, which is essentially a psychological and public opinion deterrence, aiming to influence the adversary's strategic assessment.
* Russia often positions itself as "countering Western hegemony." Rutte's data comparison attempts to deconstruct this narrative, implying that Russia's actual strategic resources have long lagged behind the Western bloc and cannot support prolonged confrontation.
* There are divisions within NATO regarding aid to Ukraine and defense spending. Rutte uses this to emphasize the "overall strength of the alliance," urging member states to be more determined in coordinating policies and sharing responsibilities.
It should be noted that Rutte's statement intentionally selects favorable dimensions for NATO (total population). However, the outcome of modern international conflicts is not solely determined by population size, but also involves multiple complex factors such as technology, geography, domestic political cohesion, and nuclear deterrence. Russia still retains specific countermeasures in local battlefields, energy weapons, and nuclear deterrence. Therefore, this comparison is more of a political propaganda and psychological warfare. The purpose is to consolidate strength, form consensus, alleviate anxiety, enhance confidence, eliminate anti-Russian sentiment, and break the myth of Russia being invincible. Ultimately, it is to continue the war and see it through to the end.
This contradicts the peace plan that the United States is promoting for the Ukraine conflict. As Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán said, there is no European country that does not oppose the U.S. proposal on the issue of Ukraine peace. This clearly expresses that the divergence between the U.S. and Europe is expanding, the contradictions are deepening, and the competition is intensifying.
Especially recently, Trump's appointment of an envoy to Greenland has further enraged Europe, deepening the rift. Nordic countries have criticized the U.S. action while urgently discussing countermeasures.
Danish government expressed serious concerns, calling the U.S. move "unacceptable."
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen posted on social media platform X, emphasizing that "territorial integrity and sovereignty are fundamental principles of international law, and we stand with the people of Denmark and Greenland."
Rutte once regarded Trump as a senior figure, treating him like a father, almost calling him "Dad." Now his statements clearly go against "Dad's" wishes, and the father-son relationship has broken down.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1852298316900364/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.