By Newsdesk Team - Defence Technology Matters
via European Press Centre Malaga
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to call for Nato unity amid growing tensions within the military bloc at a summit to mark the founding of the 29-member defence alliance 70 years ago gets under way near London today [Tuesday, 03 December 2019]. Nato members pledge to come to the aid of one another should any of the allies come under attack.
However the beano is being totally overshadowed by a bitter row between France and Turkey
and a continuing debate over money. Tensions have been growing since the election of President Trump, who has repeatedly complained that Europe's Nato members are not contributing enough to the alliance.
Last month, French President Emmanuel Macron described Nato as "brain dead", saying alliance members were no longer co-operating on a range of key issues. US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly clashed with Nato's European members over the funding of the bloc, is among world leaders attending.
Trump arrived in the UK on Monday ahead of a reception to be hosted by the Queen at Buckingham
Palace on Tuesday evening. Mr Trump is set to hold separate talks with the German and French
leaders, and Nato's secretary-general.
As host of the two-day summit, UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson is expected to reiterate the
importance of Nato staying united. Johnson´s position is that Nato is the most enduring and
successful alliance in military history and that it continues to adapt to the evolving threats that we face. It is the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security and it helps to keep a billion people safe. The PM is expected to re-iterate that all members must be united behind shared priorities so Nato can adapt to the challenges ahead.
Nato estimates for 2019 show there are now eight countries - in addition to the US - meeting the target agreed by all Nato members to spend 2% or more of their gross domestic product (GDP, a measure of economic output) on defence.
Mr Stoltenberg said on Friday that by 2020, European allies and Canada would have invested $130bn more since 2016 - the year President Trump was elected.
About NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 29 North American and European countries. The
organization implements the North Atlantic Treaty that was signed on 4 April 1949.
Security in our daily lives is key to our well-being. NATO’s purpose is to guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means. NATO promotes democratic values
and enables members to consult and cooperate on defence and security-related issues to solve
problems, build trust and, in the long run, prevent conflict. It is also committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to undertake crisis-management operations. These are carried out under the collective defence clause of NATO's founding treaty - Article 5 of the Washington Treaty or under a United Nations mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organisations. Click Here for more on NATO
