It’s starting to look like world leaders are taking applications for the next World War, and Europe’s NATO Secretary General, former Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, seems to have thrown his hat in the ring. During The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace conference—Rutte declared that Europeans need to adopt a “wartime mindset.” Translation? Get ready to shell out more for defense spending because healthcare and pensions are apparently luxuries now.

Rutte framed his push for militarization as a response to Russia’s “hybrid warfare,” which he claims is “bringing the front line to our front doors.” Fearmongering much? He argued that Ukrainians battling drone swarms are the blueprint for what Europeans need to “prepare for.” And prepare you will—by redirecting your tax dollars from social services to defense budgets. Rutte brushed off concerns about slashing social spending, claiming it’s “only a little less.” After all, in his words, “freedom does not come for free.” But the math he’s selling doesn’t add up when pensions, healthcare, and social security systems dwarf defense budgets for a reason—they actually help people survive.

And if Rutte wasn’t enough, Admiral Rob Bauer, NATO’s top military officer, chimed in to remind Europeans that they’ll need to give up their “luxuries” to keep supporting Ukraine. What luxuries, you ask? Oh, just minor things like functioning healthcare and affordable living—clearly frivolous compared to pumping billions more into the military-industrial complex.

Meanwhile, NATO has already funneled hundreds of billions into Ukraine with little to show for it except ongoing chaos and a growing economic burden on European and American citizens. Yet Rutte and his ilk are determined to keep the cash flowing—straight into the pockets of defense contractors.

The irony is rich: leaders who will never see a battlefield themselves are demanding “sacrifices” from ordinary citizens while gearing up for yet another war. Maybe they should take their own advice and sacrifice their pay. Until then, the rest of us would prefer leaders who prioritize peace over perpetual war.