Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg has pushed back against criticisms from US presidential hopeful Donald Trump about the defence alliance, seeking to demonstrate it still holds strong.
Over the weekend Mr Trump said he would “encourage” Russia to invade a country that had not been meeting its Nato defence spending commitments. The statement, which was criticised by some Republicans, was received in Europe as deeply undermining to an alliance based on a collective defence commitment that if any one member is attacked all the others will come to its aid.
As Mr Stoltenberg chaired a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels, he told reporters it was no longer the case that most countries were failing to meet their commitments to spend at least 2 per cent of their GDP on defence.
“For many years it was a valid point and a fair case to raise from the US side,” he said. Now, however, there were “record high investments in Europe and Canada” and 18 members are set to meet the 2 per cent target, compared to only three countries in 2014. “Things have really changed with increased defence spending,” he said.
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Mr Stoltenberg also argued that far from the perception of some in the US, Europe was leading support for Ukraine’s efforts to fight back against Russia’s invasion.
“Not only are European allies and Canada providing substantial support – and actually more support in total than the United States – to Ukraine, but they’re also leading the way on many of the weapons,” he told reporters. “The Europeans were the first to deliver battle tanks, first to deliver long-range missiles, first to deliver cruise missiles, and the Europeans have also been leading the way when it comes to delivering fighter jets to Ukraine.”
A strong Nato continued to be in the interest of the US, he insisted, and had cross-party support in Washington despite Mr Trump’s remarks.
Doubts about whether the US would remain committed to Nato if Mr Trump is re-elected in November have spurred debate in the EU about whether it needs to become self-sufficient in its defence rather than relying on the US.
There is increasing talk among officials and diplomats about whether the next European Commission should have a commissioner for defence, an unprecedented step towards EU co-operation on security. On Thursday a spokesperson for commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she would support having such a position, but that it would be a question for whoever held the next mandate.
She is widely expected to seek a second term after her first expires this year.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Stoltenberg said increased European investment in defence was welcome but that it should be a complement to Nato rather than a rival arrangement, insisting it was vital not to divide the transatlantic alliance.
“I welcome that the European allies are investing more in defence, and Nato has called for that for many, many years,” said Mr Stoltenberg. “But that’s not an alternative to Nato. That is actually a way to strengthen Nato. And we should not pursue any path that indicates that we are trying to divide Europe from North America.”
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