NATO chief asks defense ministers to dig deep for deterrence
NATO SECRETARY General Jens Stoltenberg is asking the alliance’s defence ministers on Wednesday to throw more cash into the pot for shared deterrence and defense activities as part of a long-term reform plan.
The boost would support allied deployments in the Russian-facing eastern flank of the 30-member bloc, air policing, marine deployments and joint manoeuvres, according to the alliance head.
The proposal is part of a broader package of reform ideas Stoltenberg is presenting to ministers for initial debate at Wednesday’s meeting, the first gathering since the change of administrations in the United States.
The investment drive would also help balance costs among the allies, according to Stoltenberg, a frequent bone of contention between the bigspending US and other allies, notably Germany. The thorny topic of burden-sharing is also on the agenda at the meeting.
Briefly before the start of talks, Berlin’s Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said she welcomed the ideas without going into closer detail.
“As Germany, we have a major interest in driving forward this process in the coming weeks and months,” she said.
If the proposals go down well, they could be adopted by the NATO leaders at a summit this year, though a date has not yet been set.
Kramp-Karrenbauer also welcomed the first meeting with her new US counterpart, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin “We all see a big chance for a new start in transatlantic relations.” On Thursday, discussions are to turn to NATO’s Iraq and Afghanistan missions. The former is due to be beefed up, while the latter is awaiting an official decision about whether to withdraw international troops by the end of April as per an agreement with the Taliban.
Due to persistent high levels of violence, the alliance seems poised to stay put in Afghanistan, with Stoltenberg arguing that the Taliban has failed to stick to their side of the peace deal.
This risks confrontation with the radical Islamist group, which has already threatened reprisals if the withdrawal doesn’t go ahead.
A formal decision is not expected this week, as US
President Joe Biden reviews the policy course set out by his predecessor Donald Trump.
But for Kramp-Karrenbauer - whose country provides 1,100 of the roughly 10,000 NATO and partner-country troops in Afghanistan - it is clear what allies should do.
“We can already say that we’re not in a position to talk about the planned withdrawal of international forces in Afghanistan on 30 April,” she said.
Peace talks are under way but are not so advanced as to allow for the departure of troops, Kramp-Karrenbauer said.