Passionate Republican voters, we need to talk about NATO. President Biden recently gave a speech to eastern European nations about the importance of a strong and unified NATO, but retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg says that speech was all show.
Kellogg, a national security adviser to former President Trump, says that most NATO allies are unprepared to fulfill a call for aid, as they have not met the 2% of GDP spending requirement for defense.
Article 5 of NATO stipulates that an attack on any NATO member is treated as an attack on all, requiring a joint response. But Kellogg points out that equally important is Article 3, which states that NATO countries must fund their defense well enough to defend themselves and the collective alliance against an attack.
These articles go hand in glove and rely on each other. Kellogg says that if NATO allies don’t spend the required amount on defense, they won’t have the military structure or forces to support the rest of the alliance as they enforce Article 5.
Unfortunately, most NATO countries have not met the 2% of GDP spending requirement. Kellogg specifically points to Germany, France, Spain, and Italy as being among the least prepared. However, the U.S., which spends nearly 4% of its GDP on defense, along with the Baltic countries, Poland, and Britain, are the most prepared to act swiftly and effectively if Article 5 is invoked.
President Trump frequently talked about the unfunded military establishment of NATO, and his message seemed to work, as some countries began to increase their defense budget. Kellogg says it’s so important to continue to talk about NATO and their unfunded military establishment from the bully pulpit.
But President Biden’s recent speech seems to ring hollow, as Kellogg says about 20 of the 30 allied countries are unprepared to fulfill a call for aid.
Kellogg also says that despite Biden’s remarks fueling speculation over whether NATO will get involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he does not see that happening anytime soon. He believes it was a diversion because Biden has not come up with a plan to help end the war. Kellogg wants to know what the policy is to end the war and how Biden plans to do it.
He believes that instead of using rhetoric and talking about Article 5 and NATO, Biden needs to define his plan to the American people.
In conclusion, passionate Republican voters, we need to pay attention to NATO and their unfunded military establishment. President Biden’s recent speech about a strong and unified NATO may have been all show, as most NATO allies are unprepared to fulfill a call for aid.
It’s time to hold our NATO allies accountable and ensure that they are meeting their spending requirements for defense. We must continue to talk about NATO and their unfunded military establishment, as President Trump did, and encourage them to increase their defense budget.
Let’s make sure that if Article 5 is ever invoked, we are all prepared to act swiftly and effectively.
