NATO: Russia goes from “partner” in Lisbon to “threat” in Madrid
With Ukraine as a backdrop to the war, NATO leaders declared this Wednesday as the main threat to the security of the Euro-Atlantic country in Russia, which at the Lisbon Summit in 2010, was considered a partner.
According to the Declaration of the Madrid Summit, a text signed by the 30 heads of state and government of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the “Russian Federation is the biggest and most direct threat to security , peace and stability of the allies [da NATO] in the Euro-Atlantic region”. The same is reflected in the new strategic concept of the Alliance, which also pays attention to Beijing.
China, according to the document adopted in the first hours of the summit, “declared coercive ambitions and policies”, challenging the “interests, security and values” of the allies. Among other threats listed by NATO leaders is terrorism.
In relation to the previous strategic concept, approved at the Lisbon summit that took place between 19 and 20 November 2010, the new one includes Beijing and revises the stance towards Moscow. The previous document had been approved in the Portuguese capital by the leaders of the 28 countries that were then part of NATO, with the signature, among others, of leaders such as Barack Obama (USA), Angela Merkel (Germany), François Sarkozy (France), David Cameron (United Kingdom), Silvio Berlusconi (Italy) or José Luís Zapatero (Spain).
Faced with NATO in relation to Russia, Ukraine’s position welcomed the “lucidity” of the Atlantic Alliance and applauded its “essential decisions” on support for Kiev, as well as the beginning of Sweden’s formal accession process, also implemented today in the capital. Spanish.
The text was released at the end of the first working session after the Summit, which met the leaders of the members of the current 30 member states, which Turkey on Tuesday withdrew or veto the accession of all Nordic countries to the military alliance.
For his part, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg assured that Ukraine can count on the support of the Atlantic Alliance.
Stoltenberg said, at today’s meeting, the Allies reinforced the takeover in Bucharest on the accession of Ukrainians, referring to the summit in the Romanian capital in 2014, where member states stated that Georgia and Ukraine would be future allies. The Allies further reiterated their commitment to achieving the target of 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) set aside for Defense and agreed to increase the organization’s common budget.
In the Madrid Summit declaration, the Allies renew their commitment to reach 2% by 2024 and intend to decide, next year, on the “subsequent commitments” after 2024. at the summit in the Spanish capital will define the security of the Atlantic Alliance for the next 10 years.
Jens Stoltenberg further announced that as a NATO rapid reaction force, which will increase from the current 40 million to 300,000, up to 300,000 will be prepared and will be assigned to Eastern European countries.
The NATO summit, which takes place in Madrid, with more than forty heads of state and government and a program conditioned by the war in Ukraine, arranged with an intervention by the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky.
The meeting, which takes place between today and Thursday at Parque das Exposições, in Madrid, brings together 44 heads of state and government — 30 members of the Atlantic Alliance, including Portugal — in the largest number of delegations so far recorded at the NATO summit, organization founded in 1949.