The 3 keys to NATO’s new strategy to confront Russia and China

The President of the United States, Joe Biden closed his participation in the NATO summit that was held between Wednesday, June 29 and Thursday, June 30 in Madrid the capital of Spain, but not before warning Russia and China that the alliance is now stronger and more united.

Keep in mind that NATO is a defensive military alliance founded in 1949 by 12 countries, including the US, Canada, France and the UK, which currently have 30 member states. All members must attend mutual help in the event of an armed attack against any of them.

Among the decisions left by the recent summit, an increase in the US military presence in Europe was announced, in addition to the lifting of the Turkish blockade on the accession of Sweden and Finland to the Alliance.

But, also, NATO defined Russia as the “most direct and significant threat to Euro-Atlantic security, peace and stability”. In turn, he considered China for the first time as a “challenge” during the Summit.

Consequently, it approved a new strategy for the next decade, called Strategic Concept of Madrid whose principles will guide the policies throughout said period with respect to the two countries mentioned.

Next, we present three keys that were developed by the BBC and that explain what the new strategy of the largest military alliance in the world consists of.

NATO announced that the troops deployed to the east of the Alliance will be reinforced, so the response capacity will be transformed and the forces will be multiplied from 40,000 to more than 300,000 in high availability to Russia.

“(This is) the largest review of our collective deterrence and defense since the Cold War,” Stoltenberg defined the initiatives. This entity plans to have more equipment and reserves of military supplies.

On the other hand, the United States indicated that said military presence will be increased in six nations —Poland, Romania, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom and Germany—, in addition to the “Baltic” region.

Along these lines, the United Kingdom promised to increase defense spending to the equivalent of 2.5% of its GDP by 2030. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he would pressure other Western allies to also increase their budget.

For its part, Germany will place an air defense artillery brigade, a short-range air defense battalion and an engineering brigade, with some 625 soldiers in total. In Italy it will place a battery of anti-aircraft defenses, with 65 soldiers.

Joe Biden reiterated the alliance’s commitment to “defend every inch” of its territory. “We mean it when we say that an attack on one is an attack on all,” he added.

Russia represents a “direct threat” to the security of the countries of the NATO Meeting in Madrid, Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of the Alliance, declared on Wednesday 29 that he is going to reinforce his eastern flank in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Stoltenberg considered that this meeting will be “historic and transformative” for this alliance born in 1949, which now faces the Russian challenge in Ukraine.

The alliance will launch the largest overhaul of its defense and deterrence capabilities since the end of the Cold War, strengthening its forces on the eastern flank near Russia and greatly increases your high readiness troops.

For his part, the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Alexandr Grushkó, stated that, by declaring Russia the “main threat”, NATO has opted for confrontation and containment of Moscow on all fronts.

The accession of Finland and Sweden would mark one of the biggest changes in European security in decades.

China poses a challenge to the security and interests of the NATO with their “declared ambitions and coercive policies”, asserted, for the first time, the 30 allies in their new strategic concept.

“The declared ambitions and coercive policies of the People’s Republic of China challenge our interests, security and values,” specified the document that should guide the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the coming years.

The alliance It also accuses Beijing of working with Russia to undermine the international order.

John Kirby, US National Security Advisor, recalled that “the strategic concept has not been updated since 2010, and the world was very different then.”

With information from EFE and AFP

Source-larepublica.pe