The NATO summit ends this Thursday in Madrid with the approval of a new Strategic Concept for the next decade, in which Russia is declared the greatest and most direct threat to the security of the Atlantic Alliance.
In a summit dominated and conditioned by the Russian offensive against Ukraine, which began on February 24, the agenda for the second and last working day of the meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ends with a session in which several countries, like host Spain, it is expected that the 30 heads of state and government will look towards the so-called “southern flank”.
These countries have insisted for NATO do not ignore the “threats and challenges” of the Middle East or North Africain particular, from the African Sahel region, and that are related to illegal immigration movements or terrorist groups.
These countries insist on a 360-degree approach and strategy, even acknowledging the leadership role that the East Side has gained thanks to Russia.
On Wednesday, NATO leaders approved a new Strategic Concept for the organization for the next decade and published the Madrid Summit Declaration, documents that define the Russia as the greatest and most direct threat to the security of the countries of the military alliance. For the first time, NATO’s ten-year strategy also has a reference to China.
The Russian threats that make NATO align with Zelensky, the door open to more countries and China’s “opaque” tactics
Also on Wednesday, NATO reiterated its support for Ukraine and unblocked a new comprehensive aid package for kyiv, as well as aid to countries such as Moldova, Georgia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
On the first day of the summit, NATO confirmed the reinforcement of its forces in Eastern Europe and the increase in the number of troops on standby (rapid reaction) from 40,000 to more than 300,000 troops.
This summit is also already marked by the formal start of the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, after Turkey lifted its veto on the two candidatureson Monday, after a meeting between the leaders of the three countries.
NATO: US guarantees not to have offered concessions to Turkey to lift the veto
Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa leads the national delegation to the summit, which includes two ministers (Defense and Foreign Affairs). A press conference by António Costa is scheduled at the end of the summit’s work, at the end of the morning.
Upon his arrival at the summit on Wednesday, António Costa considered that the meeting in Madrid started “in the best way”, with the unblocking of the accession of Sweden and Finlandand stated that the ratification process in Portugal will be “quite fast”.
The prime minister has said that Portugal will follow the announced reinforcement of NATO troops in a way “appropriate to the circumstances” of the country and has not committed to a date to reach the objective of 2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reserved to Defense, affirming that the country only assumes “commitments that it can fulfill”.
Source: Observadora
