The Brief and Rocky 2019 Nato Summit: Allies Grapple with Defense Spending Unity
NATO allies grapple with achieving consensus on military expenditures
Take a trip down memory lane to the 2019 Nato summit in The Hague, a brief affair with tense undercurrents as allies scrambled to keep the powerful US on-side. Will they manage to strike a deal that keeps Donald Trump content and preserves Nato? Here's a quick rundown of the key topics at hand:
Defense Spending: Make the Investment!
Under sanction from Russia's incursion into Ukraine and intense pressure from President Trump, Germany and other alliance partners have already agreed on a revised goal for defense spending by the weekend. The working draft of the concluding declaration, approved by all 32 members, declares: "In response to the deep-rooted security threats and challenges we face, the allies commit to investing at least 2% of their GDP in essential defense and security expenses by 2024."
A meticulously negotiated amendment to the agreement no longer requires the traditional 2% to be allocated solely to traditional military spending. Instead, spending on terrorism prevention and infrastructure with military applications—such as railways, durability bridges, and expanded ports—is also acceptable.
Article 5: How Blue is the Union?
Can the United States, under Trump's presidency, still uphold the mutual defense commitment articulated under Article 5 of the Nato Treaty? That is, the commitment to offer assistance to an ally in the event of a strike and for an attack on one partner to be seen as an attack on all? Previous statements by Trump have cast doubt on this. The summit declaration will clarify: "The heads of state and government of the North Atlantic Alliance have gathered in The Hague, reaffirming our commitment to Nato - the most robust alliance in history - and enduring the transatlantic partnership." We stand united and resolute in protecting the billion citizens across alliance nations.
Ukraine's Role: In the Shadows
Last year's Nato summit in Washington featured Ukraine's war against its eastern neighbor as a prominent point of discussion. However, at the upcoming summit, this topic will take a backseat due to Trump's stance. The sole official working session will revolve primarily around defense spending.
Politics: NATO-Ukraine Council Meeting Sidelines Selenskyj
In contrast with previous years, the NATO-Ukraine Council will not convene at the level of heads of state and government. The draft declaration for the summit includes the vague statement: "The allies renew their unchanging sovereign pledges to support Ukraine, whose security contributes to our own."
Trade Tensions: Charter Conflicts?
A controversial tiff between the U.S. and its allies over trade tariffs has arisen. Article 2 of the Nato charter states that the parties "will pursue the abolition of conflicts in their international economic policies and promote economic cooperation among themselves." However, the summit declaration only hints at the hope that the ongoing trade spat won't bring about any setbacks to ongoing modernization endeavors.
Avoiding Disaster: Success Seems Narrow
Will the summit turn into a disaster? Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's public statements about Spain not regarding the 5% target as binding raised initial concerns among participants. However, NATO Secretary-General Rutte assures that all members have subscribed to the 5% pledge, thanks to Trump's relentless prodding on the issue.
Future summits, including the summit in Turkey in 2022 and Albania in 2027, are already being planned. Stay tuned for more up-to-date developments!
- NATO
- The Hague
- Donald Trump
- Attack on Ukraine
- Volodymyr Zelensky
- Turkey
From 2019 to the upcoming 2025 summit, NATO countries have increased their defense spending commitments, albeit with stumbling blocks. Recently, there has been a focus on tightening these commitments, aiming to achieve a target of 5% GDP on defense and related security expenses by 2032. The 2025 summit in The Hague is set to stamp a historic, more ambitious defense spending guideline, including a baseline target of 3.5% on pure defense spending and a proposed overall defense objective of 5%. However, the progress toward achieving these targets remains a work in progress, with fewer than one-third of NATO members committing to the 3.5% target by 2025[1][2][3].
Sources:[1] Reuters[2] NPR:Dynamic[3] Deutsche Welle
- The Community policy could be potentially impacted by the ongoing discussions and decisions regarding defense spending at the NATO summit, as increased military expenses are being pushed, which may affect the allocation of resources for other sectors.
- The escalating tension surrounding defense spending, trade politics, and compliance with existing treaty commitments has drawn parallels between the recent NATO happenings and the broader realm of general-news politics, highlighting the interconnectedness of global military affairs and international governance.
