“NATO is not ready for a conflict with the Russian Federation without the support of the USA – The Independent The leaders of the three front-line NATO countries called on the alliance to increase defense spending. Countries are concerned about a possible decrease in US participation in European security after the elections.”, — write on: unn.ua
Details
After Donald Trump won the US presidential election, the leaders of Latvia, Estonia and Finland urged the alliance to end the “endless debate” on how to deal with the looming threat of Russia, saying it was time to strengthen Europe’s defense capabilities.
“We are not ready. That is absolutely clear,” says Latvian President Edgars Rinkevičs. “We cannot simply hope for a situation where the US will continue to take an active part in the affairs of Europe.”
“We have to build up our defense capabilities,” added Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, “because of the threat from Russia and its inability to be a democracy and operate in a rules-based world.”
The three countries are the only NATO members to share a border with Russia, a 1,200-mile border that runs from the northern tip of Finland to the southeastern tip of Latvia, which also borders Belarus, a vassal state of dictator Putin that Moscow used as a springboard during its invasion of Ukraine.
The publication reminds that Finland, Estonia and Latvia are also included in the list of NATO countries that spend the most on defense in relation to their gross domestic product (GDP).
Let’s add
NATO requires its member states to spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense, but so far this year only a third of countries have met that requirement. That figure has risen to two-thirds of NATO members, but experts continue to warn that spending is too low. According to forecasts, Russia will spend 6.3 percent of its GDP on defense by the first quarter of 2025.