If there is no small rival but colossal rivals, with the NATO summits something similar happens. There is no meeting of the partners of the alliance that is comfortable, but there are other most uncomfortable. And these days in Hague (Netherlands) It occupies a special place in the ranking of tense summits. Ukraine, Israel, Iran, Gazathe return of Donald Trump… all that and something even more conflictive within the alliance: the debate for financing up to 5% of the national GDP of the members for the purposes of Defense.
Continuing with the football simile, everything happens especially through the ‘high pressure‘to which they are subjecting their partners so much Trump as the NATO general secretary. But even more serious the matter has become the filtration of the American president of the private messages that he has sent him Mark Rutte. In addition to congratulating him for his mediation work with Iran, NATO’s ‘boss’ gives his ears to the tycoon, promising that “Europe is going to pay big, as they should, and it will be your victory“.
Celestial music for the ego of a president who has lacked time to publish it in his social truth, while he himself Routte had no choice but to admit the messages and that “no problem”, since he considers he used “An appropriate tone“In your conversation.
Anyway, dynamite for a debate that was already ‘warm’. Space It was the first state in Publicly reject the commitment of 5% of GDP In military matters and this weekend Pedro Sánchez I celebrated having limited spending to 2’1%. Hours later, it was Rutte the fact that contradicted the chief of the Executiveraising Spanish investment to 3’5% with a variable formula that would end up reaching 5% over the years. Doors jaleo for … and doors out.
Why Sanchez is not just at the NATO summit in The Hague. Two countries usually little friends from Spain in multilateral negotiations such as Belgium and Slovakiathey have recognized Follow the Spanish road and defend his “sovereign right” to limit his budget contribution and, especially, choose the way of how to do it. Both governments They demand “flexibility” to the dome of the alliance for what is expected (and will be) an extreme negotiation this Wednesday in Mark Rutte’s lands.
With Spain in the focus, NATO’s mandamas has made it clear to the summit hours that There are no “exceptions” or “exclusion clauses”. “We know that we have a medium -term review. But also, meanwhile, we have several stages in which we can evaluate Spain and others,” he added in an interview with the Swedish chain SVT.
In front of Spain (and Belgium and Slovakia) not only Mark Rutte is. Donald Trump, In its usual confessions to the press on the presidential plane he warned that our country is, today, “A problem “ in the objective of NATO military spending and Government’s position Sánchez results “very unfair to the rest“.
Not so radical in forms but with a similar background, the Primera Ministra de Dinamarca, Mette Frederiksenhas expressed its rejection that the 5% proposal includes “exceptions for some countries” and bets because Europe acts with “solidarity” of Block also this matter.
Frederiksen goes further that leaders like Trump and has asked to advance the horizon planned to reach 5%, from 2035 to 2030, since he sees the initial term “too late.”
Feeling is identical in Much of the north and east of Europe. Among the reliars is a newly admitted partner in the ‘Club’, Swedenwhose prime minister does not see “space to create exceptions”, in line with what was transmitted by the government of Polandwhich shows his fear of what he calls would be a “bad example.”
Even the UE In the mouth of today High representative Community and former Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas. Present in Hague as von der Leyen or Costa, Estonia has not hesitated to point out that “We need to have everyone on board when they are NATO decisions“And more in” dangerous and turbulent times. ”
(Tottenslate) Otan
