As of: February 14, 2024, 11:39 a.m
By: Peter Sieben
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“Steadfast Defender”, security conference and meeting in Brussels: The NATO alliance demonstrates unity.
But statements by Donald Trump are torpedoing that. Not the only problem, say experts.
Berlin – The signs point to deterrence.
90,000 soldiers from 32 countries will rehearse an emergency until May.
“Steadfast Defender 2024” is the name: “Steadfast Defender”.
It is the largest NATO exercise since the end of the Cold War.
The security situation in Europe is more tense than it has been for a long time and the message, especially to Russia under Vladimir Putin, is: the alliance is capable of defending itself.
This is exactly what the NATO defense ministers will talk about at a joint meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
These days, of all days, former US President Donald Trump is making a crossroads: The US would not protect defaulting NATO countries, Trump said during an election campaign appearance.
He would “even encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want.”
According to Donald Trump's NATO statement: "It must be clear to everyone that the USA no longer wants to be our protecting power"
This is still hollow election campaign noise.
But defense experts are paying attention.
“NATO is currently the most potent defense alliance in the world and has great deterrence potential.
However, this statement only explicitly applies because the USA has so far been extensively involved in the alliance,” says Florian Hahn, defense policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, to
IPPEN.MEDIA
.
In view of the latest statements from the USA about NATO, “it must now be clear to everyone in Europe that the USA can no longer and does not want to be our protective power unconditionally,” said Hahn.
In addition to Europe, America is also facing other challenges beyond the Pacific: “Despite the new threat on NATO's eastern border, the Biden years were not really used to prepare for Europe's new role and to take on more responsibility,” believes Hahn.
This could soon take revenge: “If Putin senses that Europe is not able to defend itself conventionally.”
NATO’s deterrence potential: Bundeswehr “lacks quality and quantity”
The Bundeswehr, for example, is currently not sufficiently positioned to operate successfully in the context of national or alliance defense, said Hahn: “There is a lack of quality and quantity.
In terms of personnel and material, we are miles away from being fully equipped.
In addition, relevant capabilities such as air defense or ammunition stocks now have to be built up.” At the beginning of the week, construction of a new Rheinmetall ammunition factory in Lower Saxony began.
Among others, Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) was present at the obligatory groundbreaking ceremony.
A symbolic act that is intended to illustrate the current importance of ammunition production.
The chairwoman of the Defense Committee in the Bundestag, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP), sees the situation a little more optimistically than Union politician Hahn.
“We have just spent 100 billion to modernize the Bundeswehr.
We will succeed in doing this in the next few years,” Strack-Zimmermann told
IPPEN.MEDIA
.
“But what is crucial in an alliance is that everyone fulfills their task in the best possible way.
That's why it's very good and effective that the largest NATO maneuver since 1989 is now underway." NATO's deterrence potential is very great, especially with the accession of Finland and, in the future, Sweden.
“With Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg there is also someone at the top who makes it unmistakably clear that NATO will not allow one of its partners to be attacked without consequences,” said the FDP defense expert.
100 billion euros for the Bundeswehr: “The goal is to become ‘war-ready’ as quickly as possible”
Wolfgang Hellmich, defense policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, told
IPPEN.MEDIA
: “Germany has made great efforts in the past two years to improve its defense capability.
Of the 100 billion from the special fund, two thirds are now contractually bound.” Framework agreements have been concluded with the defense industry in order to “procure the necessary military equipment much more quickly in the future,” said Hellmich.
This applies in particular to ammunition: "The goal is to become militarily assertive, i.e. 'warworthy', as quickly as possible."
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Great concern before the US election: After Donald Trump's statements, "alarm bells are ringing for everyone involved"
However, people are looking forward to the US election in November with great concern.
“Especially after the latest statements by presidential candidate Donald Trump, alarm bells are ringing for everyone involved,” said Hellmich.
It is clear that Europe would currently not be able to defend itself without the USA: “All European NATO states together could not compensate for the USA's loss from the alliance.” Europe must do more and cooperate better.
“This issue is likely to play a major role at both the meeting of NATO defense ministers on Thursday and at the Munich Security Conference next weekend.”
However, the federal government has a duty to act, according to Union defense expert Florian Hahn: “It is high time, especially for Germany, to finally follow up the many warm words with action.” Above all, it is up to Scholz and Pistorius deliver, “and thereby strengthen Germany, NATO and also the transatlantic relationship.”