London (AP) – NATO members are urged to boost their air and missile defenses by 400% to address the threats posed by Russia. This announcement is expected to be made on Monday.
In a preview of his speech released by NATO, Secretary General Mark Latte emphasized the need for the alliance to “make a significant leap in our collective defense” to confront rising instability and threats during his London visit.
Latte will meet UK leader Kiel Starmer at 10 Downing Street prior to the NATO summit in the Netherlands, where the 32-member alliance is anticipated to commit to a significant increase in military spending.
Like their NATO counterparts, the UK is undergoing a reassessment of defense spending following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The UK government has promised to elevate defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, aiming for the same percentage again by 2034.
Rutte has proposed a military spending target of 3.5% of economic output and 1.5% for “defense-related expenditures,” including infrastructure such as roads, bridges, airfields, and seaports. He expressed confidence that the alliance will agree on this target at the summit in The Hague on June 24-25.
Currently, 22 of the 32 member countries either meet or surpass NATO’s existing 2% target.
The new targets align with President Donald Trump’s demands for member nations to allocate 5% of their GDP towards defense. Trump has long questioned the value of NATO, asserting that the alliance provides security to European nations that fail to make adequate contributions.
In a forthcoming speech at Chatham House in London, Rutte will state that NATO requires thousands more armored vehicles and millions of ammunition rounds, along with a 400% increase in air and missile defense capabilities.
“In Ukraine, we will enhance our defenses against aerial threats, as Russia seeks to instill fear from above,” he plans to declare.
“Merely hoping will not ensure our safety. We cannot afford to ignore the threat. Hope alone is not a strategy. Thus, NATO must evolve into a more robust, equitable, and lethal alliance.”
NATO’s European members, led by the UK and France, are rapidly modifying their defense strategies as Trump’s influence on American foreign policy appears to be waning in Europe, alongside the prospect of ending the war in Ukraine.
Last week, the UK government announced plans to construct a new nuclear-powered attack submarine, prepare its forces for potential conflicts in Europe, and position itself as “a country in armor ready to respond to combat.” This represents the most significant shift in Britain’s defense posture since the collapse of the Soviet Union over three decades ago.
Source: apnews.com