Each Nato ally must pull its weight after Russia’s threats

Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has led some to call for Nato to be better prepared to counter such surprise attacks.

I fully agree. From the start, I have described this crisis as a wake-up call for the alliance, and for all those committed to a Europe that is undivided, free and at peace.

As the crisis continues to unfold, some have accused Nato of being either too complacent or too bellicose. Neither is true. Nato continues to do its job to keep allies safe. But clearly there is a lot more we can and should do.

Nato is not an individual actor. It is an alliance of 28 sovereign nations, and all our decisions are taken by consensus. That can sometimes take time or cause frustration. But together we stand much stronger than any of us could alone. And today, as we face the biggest challenge since the end of the cold war, I expect all allies to do more for our shared security.

Pattern of behaviour

Ever since the collapse of communism, Nato has made efforts to engage with Moscow, offering more co-operation on more issues than to any other non-Nato country, and striving towards a strategic partnership. Russia’s response has been to tear up the rule book, stir up conflict in Moldova, Georgia and Ukraine, and challenge the rules-based international order. Russian-backed separatists have been linked to the tragic loss of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17. This pattern of behaviour has made our world a more dangerous and unpredictable place.

Nato was quick to respond to the illegal and illegitimate attempt to annex Crimea. We suspended all practical co-operation with Russia, while keeping diplomatic channels of dialogue open. We boosted our co-operation with Ukraine. And we took immediate measures to strengthen our readiness, with more ships at sea, more planes in the air and more exercises on the ground.

Far from remaining passive, Nato allies have more than doubled the presence of fighter jets over the Baltic states and launched surveillance flights over Poland and Romania. We have deployed more ships to the Black Sea and the Baltic sea. And we are holding a series of exercises across the region. All 28 allies are contributing to reinforcing collective defence, signalling Nato’s unity and resolve.

Security challenges

A resurgent Russia is not our only challenge. We face an arc of crises from north Africa to the Middle East and the Caucasus. So from missile defence to surveillance capabilities to joint training, Nato allies are working hard to make sure we will have what is needed to meet the security challenges of the 21st century, and to maintain the strongest military alliance the world has ever known. When we say Nato’s defence is “all for one, one for all”, we mean it.

At the Nato summit in Wales (September4-5), we will take important decisions to make our alliance even fitter, faster and more flexible. We will adopt an action plan to boost our readiness, which goes in the direction recommended by the UK House of Commons defence committee recently.

We are looking closely at how we can best deploy our forces for defence and deterrence. We are considering reinforcement measures, including the pre-positioning of equipment and supplies. We are reviewing our defence plans, threat assessments, intelligence-sharing agreements, early-warning procedures and crisis response planning. We are developing a new exercise schedule, in more locations, covering more forms of defence than ever before — from tanks in Poland to cyber defence in Estonia and combined operations in Spain and Italy.

We want to further strengthen our multinational response force, designed to respond rapidly to any crisis, anywhere. Meanwhile seven allies, led by the UK, are developing a joint expeditionary force. Denmark, Germany and Poland have also started work to raise the readiness of a multinational corps based in the Polish city of Szczecin. All this will enable us to respond more quickly to challenges in the region, including where we have little warning.

Defence spending cuts

But readiness requires resources and strong political will. During the past five years, Nato allies have on average cut defence spending by 20 per cent. Russia has increased its defence budget by 50 per cent. While the US and some European allies, including the UK, have invested significantly in modernising their forces, others need to do more.

As our economies begin to recover, we need to reverse the trend of declining defence spending. This may not be easy but it is vital. Encouragingly, some countries — such as Poland, Romania and the Baltic states — are already taking clear steps in that direction. I expect the summit will show we are prepared to invest more to keep our defences strong.

Russia’s actions cannot be ignored. The post-cold-war world order is at stake. So Nato is needed more than ever. In Wales, we are determined to show that Nato means business.

— Financial Times