An unstable world could become even more dangerous if NATO does not remain strong and united, the alliance leader said Thursday at the end of a summit where Western leaders described Russia as an “immediate threat” to the security of their nations. During their three-day meeting in Madrid, NATO members faced a geopolitical landscape marked by rivalry between major powers and myriad threats, from cyber attacks to climate change. Leaders looked around the world – scolding China after accusing it of posing “serious challenges” to global stability. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine dominated the summit. “We live in a more dangerous and unpredictable world and we live in a world where a hot war is being waged in Europe,” said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. “At the same time, we know this can make things worse.” That is why the Western military alliance has a “primary responsibility” to prevent the war in Ukraine from spreading to other countries, making it clear to Moscow that it would “protect every inch of NATO territory,” Stoltenberg said. This area is going to be developed. At the summit, NATO leaders formally called on Finland and Sweden to join the alliance, after reaching an agreement to end the opposition from Turkey. However, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he could block the Nordic integration if the Scandinavian couple does not keep their promises. If the accession is approved by all 30 member states, it will give NATO a new 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) border with Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that he would respond the same way if Sweden or Finland agreed to host NATO troops and military infrastructure. He said Russia should “create the same threats to the territory from which threats are made against us.” Estonian Prime Minister Kaya Callas said Putin’s threats were “nothing new”. “Of course, we should expect some kind of surprise from Putin, but I doubt he is attacking Sweden or Finland directly,” Callas said. NATO leaders turn south for a final summit on Thursday, focusing on the Sahel region of Africa and the Middle East, where political instability – exacerbated by climate change and food insecurity sparked by the war – has shifted. in Ukraine – leads large numbers of migrants to Europe. The US and other Western nations are also seeking to offset the growing influence of China and Russia in the developing world. “Moscow and Beijing are using economic leverage, coercion and hybrid approaches to advance their interests in the region,” Stoltenberg said. The Beijing government has described the alliance as a “remnant of the Cold War” and accused it of “maliciously attacking and tarnishing” China, including it on NATO’s list of global challenges. However, Stoltenberg said it was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that brought “the greatest reorganization of our collective defense since the end of the Cold War.” In response, NATO has dropped troops and weapons into Eastern Europe on a scale not seen for decades. NATO leaders agreed at the Madrid summit to dramatically increase military strength along the east side of the alliance, where countries from Romania to the Baltic states are worried about Russia’s future plans. NATO has announced plans to nearly increase the size of the alliance’s rapid reaction force from 40,000 to 300,000 troops by next year – although details of the troop commitments remain unclear. Most of the troops will be based in their countries of origin, but will be dedicated to specific countries in the east, where the alliance plans to build up stockpiles of equipment and ammunition. Member States have provided Ukraine with billions in military and political assistance to strengthen its resistance. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who spoke at the summit via video link, called for more. He urged NATO to send modern artillery systems and other weapons – otherwise “face a belated war between Russia and you”. “The question is, who is next? Moldova? Or the Baltic? Or Poland? “The answer is: all of them,” he said. US President Joe Biden, whose country supplies most of NATO’s firepower, has announced a strong boost to the US military presence in Europe, including a permanent US base in Poland, two more Navy-based destroyers based in Spain and two more F35 degrees in the United Kingdom. “Before the war started, I told Putin that if he invaded Ukraine, NATO would not only become stronger, but more united,” Biden told reporters. “And we would see the democracies in the world rise up and oppose its aggression and defend the rule-based order. That is exactly what we are seeing today. “ However, tensions between NATO allies have risen as the cost of energy and other basic goods skyrocketed, in part due to the war and harsh Western sanctions on Russia. There are also tensions over how the war will end and what, if any, concessions Ukraine should make. Money remains a sensitive issue – just nine of NATO’s 30 members currently meet the organization’s target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense. Britain, one of nine, announced an additional 1 1 billion ($ 1.21 billion) in military support to Ukraine on Thursday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the United Kingdom will increase military spending to 2.5% of GDP by the end of the decade. The host country, Spain, one of the lowest spending in the alliance, aims to meet its 2% target by 2029, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has said. The summit also produced a new Strategic Concept, the set of NATO priorities and objectives once a decade. The latest such document, in 2010, called Russia a “strategic partner.” NATO now accuses Russia of using “coercion, overthrow, aggression and annexation” to expand its reach. The 2010 document made no reference to China, but the new one pointed to Beijing’s growing economic and military reach as a challenge for NATO members. NATO said China was “struggling to overthrow the rule-based international order, including in space, cyberspace and the sea,” and warned of its close ties with Moscow. China responded that NATO was “creating problems around the world.” “If NATO places China as a ‘systemic challenge’, we must pay close attention and respond in a coordinated manner. “When it comes to actions that undermine China’s interests, we will receive firm and strong responses,” said a statement from the Beijing delegation to the European Union. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned NATO leaders on June 29 that Moscow’s ambitions did not stop in Ukraine. He also expressed the urgent need for more weapons and money to defend himself against Russia. Reuters Our Morning and Afternoon Newsletters are compiled by Globe editors, giving you a brief overview of the day’s most important headlines. Register today.
