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The NATO summit in the Netherlands.
Haiyun Jiang | Via Reuters
It will be a moment of truth for NATO on Wednesday when the Western Military Alliance will publish a joint declaration on a collective collective defense expenses highly advanced and preview.
The allies were covered, cajolated and in a hurry to browse their defense expenses from 2% to 5% of the gross domestic product of each country by 2035, even if some have had trouble achieving the lower lens.
It is largely expected that the 32 member states of the block shed light on Wednesday – NATO ambassadors have already agreed in principle – but the action and the deadline could still slip.
The United States’s commitment to the Alliance is also developed, after years of the frustration of US President Donald Trump with regard to the Canadian and European allies who do not get their weight with regard to defense contributions.
When he threw himself at the top on Tuesday, Trump seemed to question the central principle of the NATO collective defense (article 5) which stipulates that an attack on a member is an attack on all.
“There are many definitions of article 5. You know, right?” Trump told journalists on Air Force One. “But I am determined to be their friends, you know, I became a friend with many of these leaders, and I undertook to help them.”
The secretary general of the military coalition, Mark Rutte, sought to reassure the allies that Washington will not give up the block, saying at the top that “there is a total commitment from the American president and from the US senior to NATO”.
“However, it comes with an expectation. And the wait is that we will finally deal with this huge irritant, namely that we do not spend enough as a European and Canadian,” Rutte said on Tuesday.
“It’s time to become serious”
NATO members were committed in 2014 to spend 2% of the GDP for defense, but some countries, such as Canada and Spain, had trouble reaching this threshold.
Other Member States, in particular those of the sides of the North and East of the Bloc and closer to the opponent of Russia – like Poland and Estonia – have largely exceeded this objective.
Spain, the lowest expenditure as part of GDP in the alliance, has already stuck its head above the parapet to risk Trump’s anger by saying that a 5% expenses hike was “unreasonable”, seemingly looking for an option from the new target.
Madrid also wants More flexibility on the way and the moment it must increase its defense expensesJust like Belgium, which hosts the NATO headquarters. Italy has also expressed skepticism on the new target, saying that it will only reach 2% this year, After last week, openly putting the point of the Alliance.
NATO, Rutte, said it “was not worried” that Spanish tastes know the objectives of the summit and its own considerable diplomatic efforts to persuade members to accept higher expenses.
“Of course, these are difficult decisions, let’s be honest on this subject. Seven or eight countries at the beginning of this year, were not even the target of 2% … But now they have committed to do so this year,” CNBC Sedgwick he told a press conference on Wednesday.
“But you are right, countries must find money. It is not easy, these are political decisions, but at the same time, there is an absolute conviction with my colleagues at the table which, given the threat of Russia, given the international security situation, there is no alternative.”
Other heads of state, foreigners and defense ministers told CNBC that they hoped that the allies would make the tail.
Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, was in a bullish mood on Wednesday, telling CNBC that NATO “will deliver unity today”, but other European leaders could not exclude the possibility of a lack of consensus on the objective of ambitious spending.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Krissels told CNBC on Tuesday that he could not “exclude any kind of problem. I think you cannot” although he has added that “now is the time to take risks. It’s time to become serious in defense”.
“You can take this unit for granted. I say that there would be a value in itself with a very strong NATO unity on this subject, and it will be absolutely our, to be our message in tomorrow [Wednesday’s] Meeting, “he told CNBC on the sidelines of the summit.
Meanwhile, Hanno Pevkur, Minister of Defense of Estonia, said that 32 NATO members will have to find a compromise.
“I would say that the realistic result is that we will reach 5% per [20]35 And then we will have the examination of the target of capacities [on resources] Every year, “he said.” The worst case, of course, is that we will not reach a consensus. But I believe that this percentage, or this possibility, is very, very low, “he said.
