Troop boost to shield Nato’s eastern flank against Putin
Under pressure to find new ways to confront Russia as its deadly invasion of Ukraine drags into its fifth month, the Nato allies have announced a historic surge of forces along Europe’s eastern flank and welcomed Finland and Sweden as soon-to-be members as they vowed to defend ‘‘every inch’’ of Nato territory.
The moves were intended to send ‘‘an unmistakable message’’ that Nato remains unified against Russia’s growing belligerence, said United States President Joe Biden, standing alongside Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on the second day of the Madrid summit.
‘‘In a moment when [Russian President Vladimir] Putin has shattered peace in Europe and attacked the very, very tenets of rule-based order, the US and our allies we’re going to step up,’’ Biden said. ‘‘We’re proving that Nato is more needed now than it ever has been. And it’s as important as it ever has been.’’
Nato’s resurgence and expansion, after years when it sometimes seemed adrift, was intended to signal that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is having an effect opposite from the one he sought. The Russian leader wanted ‘‘less Nato,’’ Stoltenberg said, but instead is getting ‘‘more Nato’’.
The new military deployments include a permanent headquarters for the US 5th Army Corps in Poland – a move that Putin has long resisted – as well as additional rotational combat brigades to Romania; enhanced rotational deployments to the Baltic region; an increase in the number of destroyers stationed at Rota, Spain, from four to six; and two additional F-35 squadrons to Britain.
The alliance also released a new Strategic Concept, its first since 2010. The document underscores how much the security environment has changed. The previous version called Russia a ‘‘strategic partner’’ and did not mention China. This one directly addresses Russia’s current aggression and China’s growing influence.
Just a few years ago, many Nato members, including powerful ones like Germany, refused to spend 2% of their GDP on defence as the allies had agreed. Some were questioning Nato’s fundamental mission and whether it had outlived its purpose. Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has changed all that.
■ Indonesian President Joko Widodo, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the Group of 20 leading rich and developing nations, is visiting Ukraine and Russia for meetings with the leaders of the two nations after attending the G7 summit in Germany.
He has sought to maintain a neutral position and hopes his efforts will lead to a ceasefire and direct talks between the foes. ‘‘The war must be stopped and [its effects] on the food supply chain must be lifted,’’ Widodo said. Russia’s invasion has choked global markets and contributed to higher prices of meat, dairy products, cereals, sugar and vegetable oils.
‘‘These visits are not only important for Indonesians but also for other developing countries in order to prevent the people of developing and low-income countries from falling into extreme poverty.’’
The US and its allies in the G7 leading industrialised nations – a subset of the G20 – have sought to punish Putin, including by threatening to boycott the G20 summit later this year in Bali unless Putin is removed from the forum. But Widodo has invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Putin.