The Alliance is today deliberating on this for the first time after the resignation. Secretary General Stoltenberg has apparently not given up hope in Russia.
Shortly before the meeting of defense ministers in Brussels, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks to the press and urges Russia once again: There is one last chance to save the INF Treaty. That is, when Russia comes back to comply with the agreement. Call on Russia to take this opportunity.
It is true that only the US and, a little later, Russia have left the important disarmament agreement. However, it officially ends after the end of the six-month notice period, ie early August. But NATO does not stop at calls to Russia. She wants to prepare at the same time – for a world without an INF contract and more Russian missiles.
No signs of Russian relent
The defense ministers want to discuss the question of how NATO could adapt to the new threat situation for the first time today. However, a concrete decision on the reaction is not expected until after the end of the six months. However, Secretary General Stoltenberg repeatedly made it clear that there should not be a new arms race feared by many. NATO also does not want to station any new land-based medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe.
The fact that Russia is still giving in to the dispute over the INF treaty is currently unrealistic. Moscow rejects all allegations and accuses the US of violating the agreement itself. For example, because the US has stationed a missile system in Romania. Russia wants to distract only from the actual problem, Stoltenberg replies. There are no new American medium-range missiles in Europe, but more and more Russian.
Higher spending „significant and important“
While NATO has been closed to the INF Treaty so far, there is a lot of controversy over defense spending within the Alliance. More recently, Member States had sent their latest figures to NATO. The federal government wants to increase the defense budget to 1.5 percent of gross domestic product by 2024 and continue the increase thereafter. Concrete information did not make them.
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg praises that all Member States want to spend more money on defense – and includes Germany. „The current plan envisages an increase of more than 80 percent by 2024, which is significant and important.“
Von der Leyen meets Shanahan
US President Donald Trump, however, has repeatedly hammered at the 2014 agreed in Wales target of two percent by 2024 and Germany sharply attacked because of his view to low spending.
Federal Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen will probably find out what the acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan thinks of the announced German plans at dinner. Then NATO ministers discuss the evolution of defense spending.
