NATO plans biggest military planning overhaul in 20 years, puts Russia at the center
Photo: NATO to set a new priority (Getty Images)
NATO members are planning to implement the biggest military planning reform in two decades. The Alliance's new priority will be preparing to fight Russia rather than providing reserve forces for missions in other countries, Politico reports.
The 32 NATO member states have begun discussing new targets for the Alliance's military capabilities. These will determine exactly what forces, weapons, and military equipment allies must provide in the event of a conflict, as well as how the costs of maintaining them will be shared.
Under the draft planning document, NATO countries will no longer be required to maintain enough resources to fight a large-scale war in Europe while also conducting several smaller crisis-management operations.
Instead, allies will prepare to carry out missions under one of these scenarios, four Alliance diplomats said.
"The proposal reflects a very clear understanding that no matter what, for NATO, a major contingency in Europe will overtake any other priorities or events," said Camille Grand, former NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment.
This approach aligns with US demands for the Alliance to focus primarily on defending Europe. Washington refers to this concept as "NATO 3.0."
The current negotiations concern a document called the "Political Guidance." It is part of a four-year planning cycle that is due to conclude with the approval of new military capability requirements for member states by 2029. Allies are expected to reach a final agreement by February.
The outcome of the negotiations will determine what weapons and military equipment NATO countries receive and how effectively the Alliance will be able to deter Russia.
European officials have repeatedly warned that Moscow could be ready to attack NATO territory as early as 2029. At the same time, growing budget constraints on defense spending could make it harder to agree on the new requirements.
"This whole cycle is going to be much more scrutinized than previous cycles … governments want to know that their money is spent wisely" a senior NATO official said.
Earlier, it was reported that France wants to coordinate rules for strikes on Russia with Germany amid the risk of nuclear war.
RBC-Ukraine also reported that Finland is preparing for war with Russia but has encountered a serious problem.
