Given the growing threat from Russia, NATO presented an unprecedented upgrade program on Thursday. During a meeting of the Ministers of Defense in Brussels, the Member States formulated new, much more ambitious goals for military skills – and therefore the most extensive project of this kind since the Cold War. The aim is to greatly expand the deterrent and defense skills of the Alliance in the coming years.
The core of the program is new planning goals for the individual NATO countries, which determine exactly which military capacities they should offer for collective defense. Priority are priority, air defense and mobile landscapes. The specific content of the goals is strictly secret to make Russia more difficult to plan possible attacks.
Upstairs should put Putin off
According to information from the German news agency (DPA), the previous goals are increasing by around 30 percent, although they have not yet been fully reached. NATO Secretary -General Mark Rutte described the project as “historical”. The upgrade program must be officially decided at the end of June at the Military Alliance Summit in The Hague.
According to diplomats, the new plans assume that, despite his war war against Ukraine, Russia could start an armed conflict with a NATO state in a few years.
Upgrading is really expensive
The new program also goes hand in hand with a significant increase in national defense expenditure. At the NATO top at the end of June in the Hague in the Hague, all Member States must be committed to investing at least 3.5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) in the future. In addition, 1.5 percent of GDP must be spent on Defense -relevant infrastructure – for example for military transport routes, warehouse or communication facilities. Together these costs would achieve the quota of five percent of GDP that ex-us-president Donald Trump requires.
Some Member States are still hesitating
The US Minister of Defense Peter Hegseeth was confident on Thursday that a corresponding agreement could soon be reached. “We are very close to a consensus,” he said on the sidelines of the meeting. Some countries are still hesitant, he did not mention names. Countries such as Germany and France have already agreed to the proposal from Secretary -General Rutte, but according to diplomatic circles, Spain and Italy are considered reserved.
The investments must not only strengthen the defense of NATO countries, but also send a clearly frightening message to Russia. At the same time, military experts emphasize the implementation difficulty: the previous requirements are not fully satisfied, the new goals present many states against enormous financial and logistical challenges.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
