NATO calls on politicians to prepare for wars era
Rob Bauer (nato.int)
NATO needs to transform, and the West must prepare for an era in which anything can happen at any time, including the outbreak of war, according to Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee.
"We need a warfighting transformation of NATO," Bauer says, opening a two-day meeting of national defense ministers in Brussels.
He notes that in the past, NATO governments and companies lived in an era when everything was plentiful, predictable, controlled, and focused on efficiency.
In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, they need to adjust their thinking to "an era in which anything can happen at any time, an era in which we need to expect the unexpected, an era in which we need to focus on effectiveness in order to be fully effective," he says.
His remarks come at a time when military aid is either delayed or limited by political disputes in the United States and the European Union.
Assistance to Ukraine
Bauer pledged to continue NATO's assistance to Ukraine.
"Ukraine will have our support for every day that is to come, because the outcome of this war will determine the fate of the world," he said.
On January 16, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that wavering Western support for Kyiv and fears of an escalation of the war with Russia could prolong the fighting for years.
Last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz criticized European Union allies for what he called insufficient support for Kyiv and called on them to step up their efforts.
