Nato talks about US defence worries

TENSIONS GROW ABOUT TURKEY

Nato defence ministers met in Brussels yesterday to discuss Washington’s concerns over the European Union’s new plans to deepen defence ties between its members, and increasingly strained US-Turkey relations.

Washington and Ankara are at loggerheads over Turkey’s military offensive in northern Syria. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday warned it was detracting from the fight against the Islamic State group.

The two-day meeting at Nato headquarters in Brussels is expected to approve changes to the alliance’s command structure.

It aims to meet the challenges of warfare in the 21st century, particularly cyber attacks and other novel “hybrid warfare” tactics, as fears grow about Russian assertiveness.

But a working dinner with EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini later yesterday has taken on greater significance after senior US officials voiced fears about the impact the bloc’s new landmark defence pact could have on the balance of power in Nato.

The EU’s so-called permanent structured cooperation on defence agreement, known as Pesco, has projects in view already to develop new military equipment and improve cooperation and decision-making.

But on Sunday a senior official working with US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said Washington had concerns that some of the proposed initiatives risked “pulling resources or capabilities away from Nato”.

Despite the concerns of the United States, the alliance’s most powerful member, Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said the right balance could still be struck.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged allies to increase their share of spending to ease Washington’s burden.

On Tuesday, Stoltenberg warned there was “no way” the EU could replace the transatlantic alliance in guaranteeing European security. “It will be absolutely without any meaning if Nato and the EU start to compete,” the former Norwegian premier told reporters. “European allies are absolutely aware that the defence, the protection of Europe is dependent on Nato.”

Potentially more serious is the festering row between the United States and Turkey over Ankara’s “Operation Olive Branch”, launched last month against the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG).

While Turkey views the YPG as a “terrorist” group, the US has been working closely with the militia against IS in Syria and giving it weapons, infuriating Ankara. – AFP