NATO wants to “increase its air defense by 400 percent”, a move that triggered the wrath of the Kremlin which defined the organization a “tool for aggression and clash”. The announcement will come from Mark Rutte’s secretary general, in a speech that will hold in the afternoon and that has been anticipated to the press.
“The illusory thought will not keep us safe. We cannot dream of removing the danger. Hope is not a strategy. This is why NATO must become a stronger, more equitable and more lethal alliance,” says the Dutch in his speech that he will hold at the Chatham House. For the Secretary General, the 400 percent increase in air and missile defense will be one of the priorities of the top of the members to be held at the end of the month.
“Terror comes from above”
Rutte is pushing that the members increase the 3.5 percent defense expenditure of the GDP and commit a further 1.5 percent for larger expenses related to safety, to satisfy the request of the US president Donald Trump of a total goal of 5 percent.
“We see in Ukraine as Russia brings terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies,” says Rutte in motivating his request.
“The fact is that we need a qualitative leap in our collective defense. The fact is that we must have more strength and abilities to fully implement our defense plans. The fact is that the danger will not disappear even when the war in Ukrainian will end,” says the Secretary General.
Increase shopping
With the War of Russia against Ukraine that shows no sign of decreasing despite the requests for ceased fire, European countries are under pressure to increase the expenditure for the defense after Trump has clearly said that for the United States the defense of Europe is no longer a priority.
And several countries are already increasing their expense for armaments. The United Kingdom proposed an increase from 2.3 to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027 and 3 percent later. Germany has declared that it wants to build the most powerful army in Europe and that it will need about 50-60 thousand more soldiers more according to the new objectives.
Ara of Moscow
The furious reaction of Russia followed the announcement of the plan. “NATO, after taking off her mask, is demonstrating its nature as an aggression and comparison tool in every possible way,” said Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov during his daily briefing.
