Trump’s merit if Italy, Spain spend more on defence: NATO Chief

Rome, July 6 (IANS) The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) is changing its skin and focusing on an increasingly central role for Europe in defence, local media reported.

On the eve of the Ankara summit, the Alliance’s Secretary General Mark Rutte explained that the model of recent years “was not sustainable”, reiterating the need to rebalance the weight between the United States and Europe. Rutte also acknowledged Donald Trump’s role in increasing military spending by allies, stating that the American president is strongly pushing NATO countries to invest more in security.

Rutte declared that what they are witnessing is a NATO that is actually changing in a transformative sense, and that the NATO of just three, four or five years ago was not sustainable. He said it is not sustainable to ask a country with 350 million inhabitants, living eight hours by plane from here, to defend Europe from the Russians, with 600 million people living in this part of NATO territory, Italian news agency Adnkronos reported.

He added that it is not sustainable for the richest area in the world to be so excessively dependent on the United States, explaining that it is necessary to rebalance the situation, with the US continuing to guarantee the nuclear umbrella and decisive conventional support, while a stronger role for Europe, with greater commitment also from Canada, is important.

He noted that, otherwise, the Alliance probably would not have been sustainable in the long term, and that now they are creating a sustainable Alliance in which the United States knows it is in a fair situation. He added that they are spending as much as the US, taking on greater responsibility for the conventional defence of Europe, thereby strengthening Europe and NATO.

On the military spending front, Rutte acknowledged the weight of the Trump administration, stating that if countries like Italy and Spain are increasing defence spending, it is also due to the “Donald Trump factor.”

He said that the United States is strongly encouraging allies to reach 5 per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for defence and security spending, and that is probably a weak term. According to the secretary general, it is very helpful that the American president is committed to this.

Rutte then also cited Italy and Spain among the countries that have increased defence investments, noting that last year, countries like Spain, Italy, Belgium, and Canada all reached 2 per cent. He said it was thanks to Russia and Ukraine, but perhaps there was also, in a small part, the Trump factor, and he commended him for that.

He further added that Trump is the first since Eisenhower to keep this promise, referring to the goal of convincing European allies to share more of the defence burden.

Looking ahead to the Ankara summit, Rutte expressed confidence in the new spending targets, expecting nations to present clear, concrete, and credible plans to reach the 5 per cent target.

He claimed the results already achieved, stating that just one year after the start of a ten-year project, European allies and Canada are already investing about 4 per cent of their GDP in defence and security.

Finally, the Secretary General stressed that the Alliance will have to transform investments into operational capabilities, and that they will need more forces, more resources, and a much stronger industrial base. He said European allies and Canada are now on track to match their defence spending with that of the United States, demonstrating a real change in mindset: a stronger Europe in a stronger NATO.

–IANS

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