NATO cannot defend Europe from Russia without US – The Independent
Photo: NATO says it cannot protect Europe from Russia without the United States (Getty Images)
Ahead of leaders from the North Atlantic Alliance, concerns are growing that they will not be able to defend Europe from Russia without US support. For them, Ukraine's victory over Russia is now essential, The Independent reports.
Leaders from Latvia, Estonia, and Finland have called on the Alliance to stop "endlessly debating" about how to address the looming threat from Russia, emphasizing the need to strengthen Europe's defense.
According to them, NATO is "not ready" to fight against Russia without US assistance.
"We are not ready. That’s absolutely clear... We can’t keep simply hoping for a situation where the US remains much involved in Europe," said Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas added that NATO countries must bolster their defense capabilities.
Notably, Latvia, Estonia, and Finland are NATO’s only members bordering Russia— a 1,200-mile border stretching from Finland’s northern edge to Latvia’s southeastern corner, which also borders Belarus. Moscow has used Belarus as a launchpad for its invasion of Ukraine.
Finland, Estonia, and Latvia are also among NATO’s top defense spenders relative to their GDP.
Last week, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that next year, a new defense funding commitment will be set by NATO, following discussions with US President-elect Donald Trump.
According to previous reports, Trump's team had told European officials that the new US President expects NATO members to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP.
