The Western defense alliance, NATO, does not expect the war in Ukraine to end anytime soon. Russian President “Putin is preparing for a long war,” Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană said Wednesday at the start of a two-day meeting (see video above) of NATO’s Military Committee.
Putin has already mobilized more than 200,000 additional soldiers, ramping up arms production and getting more weapons from authoritarian regimes like Iran. “2023 will be a difficult year and we must support Ukraine for as long as it takes. We must be prepared for a long road,” said Geoană.
Military Committee Chairman Admiral Rob Bauer called it a “sacred duty” to always be prepared for the unexpected. It is also crucial to inform the political leadership honestly about strengths and weaknesses. “Today, modern warfare is as much about bits and bots as it is about mud and blood,” said the Dutchman.
Geoană believes that it is now necessary to expand industrial capabilities for the production of weapons and ammunition and make better use of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, to strengthen NATO’s capabilities in light of the situation . It is also important to invest even more in defense.
The 2 percent target set nearly a decade ago is increasingly seen as a floor rather than a ceiling on defense spending, he said. Alliance members should continue to make progress beyond 2024 and make new commitments.
Two percent of GDP for defense as a target
The current 2% target means that all NATO countries are close to the target of spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense by 2024. It will be replaced by a new target at the next regular summit in July, as desired by many Allies.
At the meeting of NATO’s highest military body, topics such as the continued reinforcement of the eastern flank and the military situation in Ukraine will be discussed until Thursday. Participants include the Chiefs of Staff of Member States.
Source: Krone
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