“Russia will remain the most significant and direct threat to the Alliance for the foreseeable future,” he wrote. Iohannis would be the first NATO chief from a country that was once in the Soviet bloc, but he faces an uphill struggle to edge out Rutte. The U.S., Britain, France and Germany — the four biggest … Read more
Third, we must improve interoperability and swiftly develop a strong defense-industrial base across the Alliance. This would serve the complementary goals of replenishing stockpiles, increasing our capabilities for deterrence and defense, as well as providing assistance to Ukraine. We will also encourage a stronger and more capable European defense industry that is complementary and interoperable … Read more
Saying that they don’t mean to stand in the way of Rutte, a senior Eastern European diplomat said: “At least somebody has to ask, ‘OK, Mark, how are you going to deal with Russia?’” They also cite Rutte’s repeated failure to bring Dutch defense spending up to the target of 2 percent of GDP agreed … Read more