Stoltenberg avoids assessing Atlantic Alliance coverage of Ceuta and Melilla
The NATO summit in Madrid “will” “transform” the Atlantic Alliance and will represent “the greatest change” in the defense of all allied countries. This was stated Monday by the organization’s secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, who assured that NATO will increase its rapid reaction forces to more than 300,000 troops for emergency deployment.
Russia’s “brutal aggression” against Ukraine has curbed international security and made Russia “the greatest direct threat to NATO and its values”. Dialogue with this country is “not on the table” today, as Moscow has chosen the path of violence, according to Stoltenberg. The allied countries therefore understand that they must “respond to the new reality” by improving their defenses and carrying out the largest overhaul of the deterrence and collective defense system since the Cold War.
Asked about Ceuta and Melilla, the NATO Secretary General avoided assessing whether the two autonomous cities enjoy Alliance protection. In the event of an attack, Stoltenberg recalled that the application of Article 5 of the collective defense would depend on the North Atlantic Council and that it is a “political decision”.
The organization’s treaty guarantees the protection of its members when the attack takes place in Europe or North America, excluding Ceuta and Melilla, located in North Africa. However, Spain considers these two cities covered as it understands that it is the responsibility of each country to establish its geographical boundaries.
The Allies have increased their presence in Eastern Europe by about 40,000 soldiers. His intention now is to strengthen cooperation with countries such as Georgia or Moldova, in order to “protect them against possible Russian aggression”.
The new strategic framework that leaders will discuss in Madrid will serve to shape NATO’s roadmap for the coming years. Increasing defense spending is key to that plan. In recent years, the members of the Alliance have increased their investments in this area and nine of them already exceed 2% of the GDP set by the Alliance. “That percentage is a floor, not a ceiling,” says the secretary-general.
The organization wants to increase and improve its spending to increase supplies of ammunition and fuel. It also plans to increase the deployment of its air force and increase the number of troops in the rapid response brigades, to 300,000 troops.
The increased capacity of these battalions, which can be deployed within days in the event of an attack on an ally, is a clear signal of support for the Baltic States. And in turn also a deterrent to Russia, as any action against an ally will be seen as an insult to NATO. “Our intention is not to provoke a conflict, but to prevent it,” Stoltenberg said.
The future accession of Sweden and Finland to the organisation, two countries not members of the Atlantic Alliance, is another main topic of the summit’s debate. However, his candidacy clashes with Turkey’s veto, which has opposed its integration into NATO since May. Ankara’s no keeps negotiations stalled as the process requires unanimity among the allied countries.
The leaders of Sweden, Finland and Turkey will attend the meeting in Madrid, but hopes of unblocking the current situation seem distant. Stoltenberg himself acknowledged “progress” in the Scandinavian countries’ accession process, but avoided giving a deadline.
Source: La Verdad
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