NATO Secretary General: “The situation has changed, Russia is pressing”
It is time for the North Atlantic Alliance to update its strategic concept against the backdrop of new terrorist threats, as well as the increasing influence of Russia and China.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated this at an online press conference on the eve of the summit of the alliance's defense ministers, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“NATO has a strategic concept that was adopted 10 years ago, and that concept has served us well. Our main tasks are defined there, collective defense, crisis resolution. NATO adapts and changes to take account of the changing security environment. At the same time, we must understand that over the past 10 years we have seen fundamental changes in the security environment.
The time has come to modernize, adapt, and redefine NATO's strategic concept. Because we are seeing a more assertive Russia. The situation today is fundamentally different, especially after Crimea, after the build-up of Russia's military presence, especially what happened in 2014 after the illegal annexation of Crimea. The situation has changed compared to 2010, when the strategic concept was adopted,” Stoltenberg said.
In addition to Russia, the Secretary General named the rise of the terrorist organization ISIS, banned in the Russian Federation, the growth of terrorism and cyber threats, climate problems, as well as a change in the balance of power using the example of China, as factors influencing the need to change the strategy.
“Changes in security challenges are occurring at such a fundamental level that it is indeed time to develop a new strategic concept. But the corresponding decision must be made by 30 allies,” Stoltenberg added.
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