NATO urges members to boost defense spending amid rising threats
According to Javier Colomina, NATO's representative for southern neighbors, the North Atlantic Alliance plans to request that member states allocate more than the current 2 percent of GDP for defense. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper "El Mundo," Colomina emphasized the need to increase investments due to threats from the East and South.
9:06 AM EST, November 11, 2024
"It's a complicated debate, but 2 percent is a level that everyone accepts as necessary," stated Javier Colomina in his interview with "El Mundo." The Spanish diplomat added that the trend within the Alliance will be to demand even higher investments in defense.
Time to increase spending
Currently, most NATO countries meet the goal of spending 2 percent of their GDP on defense, which was set a decade ago. Leading the way is Poland, which allocates over 4 percent of its GDP for this purpose. In contrast, Spain, with spending at 1.28 percent, ranks at the bottom of the list.
Colomina stressed that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the need to increase defense spending. According to him, allocating at least 2 percent is necessary to "maintain the capability to defend every inch of NATO territory."
The two most important directions
The diplomat noted that "there is no doubt that the Alliance naturally focuses on the eastern flank and Russia. It is ingrained in its DNA." At the same time, he pointed out the need for greater engagement in the South. He acknowledged Russia's growing and increasingly dangerous presence in the South, which has helped convince many NATO member countries that the South must be a priority.
NATO's capabilities differ between the East and the South. On the eastern flank, the emphasis is on conventional, collective defense. In contrast, in the South, not only military means but also diplomacy and non-military instruments are needed. Colomina emphasized that "the purely military response, which has been applied for years in the Sahel region, with France's significant presence, did not bring the expected success."
"The military response cannot be imposed from outside; it must be carried out jointly with the countries of the region. They must initiate these actions," emphasized the Alliance representative. He also admitted that "the threats observed in the Sahel cannot be combated solely with a socio-economic response." In his view, "a military response may also be significant."
Finally, Colomina addressed his new role in NATO. At the end of July, he was appointed to the newly created position of NATO representative for southern neighbors. This nomination was met with criticism from Italy, which had been advocating for the creation of this position and had hoped to fill it.
