The announcement comes as US President Joe Biden slammed Trump on Tuesday for suggesting he would allow Russia to attack members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that underspent, calling the remarks “dangerous” and “un-American.”
Kyiv destroys Russian warship, as army chief warns of ‘difficult’ front line
Kyiv destroys Russian warship, as army chief warns of ‘difficult’ front line
Asked about Trump’s comments, Stoltenberg said: “Nato has been able to prevent a military attack against any Nato ally for 75 years. We have done that because it has been absolutely clearly communicated from all Nato allies at any time that we’re there to protect all allies.”
“We should give no room for miscalculation or misunderstanding in Moscow about our readiness and our commitment and resolve to protect all allies,” he added.
Since a 2014 investment pledge, European allies and Canada will have added more than US$600 billion for defence, Stoltenberg said. Last year saw an unprecedented rise of 11 per cent across European allies and Canada, he added.
Members of the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which coordinates weapons deliveries by about 50 countries, will meet in Brussels later on Wednesday, with Nato defence ministers gathering the next day.
The prospect of Trump’s return to the White House has triggered increased talk among allies about what Europe could do to ensure the US is invested in transatlantic security, according to a senior Nato diplomat.
In addition to boosting defence spending and aid to Ukraine, allies also need to spend more time working on issues a US president would find important, including China, said the diplomat who asked not to be named on a confidential issue.
Allies are also discussing how to handle Trump at a Nato summit – that is, with a combination of flattery and a firm stance on key matters, the diplomat added.
Keeping Nato’s richest and most powerful member engaged in the alliance is critical. The US accounts for the vast majority of the bloc’s defence expenditure – roughly 70 per cent in 2022, according to Nato’s most recent annual report.
Biden blasts Trump’s ‘dumb’ and ‘dangerous’ Nato threats
Biden blasts Trump’s ‘dumb’ and ‘dangerous’ Nato threats
Shield Ukraine
Members are seeking ways to shield Ukraine aid from the US and other allies’ elections. They’re considering giving Nato as an organisation a more prominent role in coordinating support to Kyiv, according to people familiar with the matter.
One option could be more Nato weight in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. Like with defence spending, the alliance could track and deliver reports on countries’ donations to Ukraine.
Nato has previously distanced itself from those efforts to stress they are bilateral donations to Ukraine, to avoid being potentially drawn into a wider war with Russia.
Putin’s suggestion of Ukraine ceasefire rejected by US: sources
Putin’s suggestion of Ukraine ceasefire rejected by US: sources
Institutionalising Nato’s support could signal allies’ commitment to Ukraine for the long term, at a time when Russian President Vladimir Putin is betting he can outlast the west – especially as members are unlikely to move beyond language agreed last year that Ukraine will join Nato “when allies agree and conditions are met.”
The defence spending effort announced Wednesday marks a major turnaround since 2014, when only three allies met the goal.
Russia’s annexation of Crimea that year prompted countries to start reversing a trend of scaled-back spending following the end of the Cold War. That drastically accelerated since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, most notably in Germany, which chronically underspent.
