NATO Summit 2024 and hot world issues

The 2024 NATO Summit is important not only because of the 75th anniversary of its founding, but also because of the world's hot issues, directly or indirectly related to the world's largest military alliance.

In an unfavorable context, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) needs to demonstrate to its members and the international community its solidarity, strength and important, indispensable role.

The NATO summit marks the 75th anniversary of its founding as the military alliance faces a major turning point – a new direction in the most complex geopolitical context in recent decades. (Source: AP)

Many commitments, strong decisions

The conference process and the 38 points of the Joint Statement highlight three key themes and also the three strategic tasks of the alliance: Deterrence, defense; strengthening support for Ukraine and expanding cooperation with partners in the strategic Indo-Pacific region.

NATO continues to strengthen its missile defense capabilities, integrated air defense systems, cyber defense, and nuclear deterrence. The alliance will deploy US strategic missiles in Germany and establish a rapid reaction force ready for deployment near Russia's borders. European NATO member states must enhance their strategic autonomy, first of all by increasing defense spending to 2% of GDP.

The alliance pledged to support Ukraine politically, morally, with weapons and financially, determined not to let Russia win. More than $43 billion in aid in 2025; F16 aircraft and modern air defense systems continue to flow to Ukraine. NATO's European Agency, which coordinates the transport of weapons, technical support, security assistance and training of displaced Ukrainian citizens, residing abroad (possibly including mercenaries) to supplement Kiev. According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, this support will make Ukraine "stronger and more capable".

NATO leaders reaffirmed that Ukraine’s membership is an “irreversible process.” However, it remains largely symbolic and a boost to Kiev’s leadership and military, as it lacks any specific timeline or criteria.

The joint statement stressed the importance of the Indo-Pacific region to NATO and Euro-Atlantic security. The implicit reference was to China, a long-term systemic rival and challenger to the United States. The summit repeatedly criticized China for its “unlimited” cooperation and North Korea and Iran’s direct military support for Russia in Ukraine. NATO therefore continues to deepen its global partnership, especially in the Indo-Pacific, with the “Quad” of Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand (IP4).

US President Joe Biden with leaders of NATO's IP4 partners: New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles. (Source: X)

NATO has pledged not to expand into the Indo-Pacific, but it has stepped up multi-faceted cooperation, joint exercises, and maintained US military bases in leading partner countries. The scope of US and NATO engagement is not limited to Europe and the two sides of the Atlantic, but has expanded to the strategic Indo-Pacific region. NATO's ambitions are growing, aiming to increase its role as an unrivaled global political, security, and military organization, a tool to maintain a unipolar world order dominated by the West.

That is the intention, but how far it is implemented depends on many factors. Why does NATO have to emphasize strengthening solidarity? Can NATO and the West prevent the increasingly obvious trend of multipolarity (though not balance)? The opponents certainly will not sit still? There are many unclear things in the Joint Statement.

What is not in the Joint Statement

First , NATO is not as “unprecedentedly strong” as claimed. Decades ago, the US proposed a strategy to respond to two wars at the same time. The US and NATO once “made waves” in Kosovo, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, etc. Now expanding to 32 members, increasing defense spending by 2% of GDP, but just one conflict in Ukraine has made the Secretary General and NATO officials admit that the alliance's capacity is still limited. That is the reason why the US and NATO urge European members to be self-reliant, increase cooperation, and have a presence in the Indo-Pacific.

Second, double standards and internal unrest. The three-day conference and the Joint Declaration highlighted the conflict in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the war in the Gaza Strip was barely mentioned. The US continues to provide bombs and ammunition and support Israel wholeheartedly, despite international backlash. Some European countries also disagree with the US, declaring their readiness to recognize an independent Palestinian State coexisting with the Jewish State.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the current rotating EU president who has been trying to find a peaceful solution in Ukraine, assessed that NATO today is moving away from its original defensive purpose, pursuing an agenda of escalating tensions, which risks leading to a catastrophic military confrontation with Russia.

Efforts to aid Ukraine and increase sanctions against Russia have had a profound impact on the lives of Europeans. That is one of the main reasons why the far-right has won unprecedented victories in the European Parliament elections, the French National Assembly elections and several other countries. Although the far-right, populist movement has not yet come to power, many European countries will have to carefully consider new policies.

Although the Western media has tried to highlight the “Moscow threat”, many politicians and scholars still believe that “Europe cannot be stable without Russia” and “Russia cannot develop without Europe”. Russia wants to ensure its own security and also wants to cooperate equally and trustfully with Europe. However, some countries do not believe it or do not want to believe it.

Third, at the Summit, President Joe Biden and NATO not only feared Russia and China, but also targeted another person, former President Donald Trump. After his “weak” image in the first debate, the current US President wanted to demonstrate his role and leadership ability, leading the military alliance to make tough statements and decisions.

The former US President did not abandon NATO, but he would make European members pay more for the US protection umbrella. Many NATO members also worry that Donald Trump’s election will weaken the alliance and reduce aid to Ukraine. Therefore, NATO has made decisions on long-term aid to Ukraine, in case Donald Trump becomes the new owner of the White House after November.

The 2024 NATO Summit has many strong commitments and decisions related to hot issues of the world and the alliance itself. (Source: AP)

International perspective

International public opinion sees the 2024 NATO Summit as having many strong commitments and decisions related to hot issues of the world and the alliance itself. Acknowledging the important role of NATO, many global challenges cannot be solved without the participation of Russia, China and countries of the Southern Hemisphere.

Moreover, there are tensions caused by NATO’s strategic policy and involvement. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and some other leaders believe that increasing arms aid to Ukraine will not make a big difference in the situation on the battlefield, “Russia is very difficult to defeat” and the more intense the conflict in the coming months, the more distant a ceasefire becomes.

Ukraine, Russia and Europe have all suffered heavy losses in many aspects. Europe is increasingly dependent on the US. The “winners” are the tycoons and US defense industry corporations. Therefore, the solution to end the conflict does not depend only on Russia and Ukraine but is greatly influenced, perhaps decisively, by the US, NATO and the West.

Russia and China reacted strongly and harshly to many contents of the Joint Statement of the 2024 NATO Summit. Russia is closely monitoring and will certainly have a cautious and effective response, corresponding to NATO's decisions and actions. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, NATO does not support dialogue and the alliance itself is a tool of confrontation. Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said Russia will not participate in the second Ukraine peace conference.

On July 11, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said that Beijing strongly condemns and opposes the NATO Joint Statement, which is belligerent, “full of bias, smears and provocations.” NATO’s statement and actions have further increased tensions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Each country may have a different perspective, leaning towards one side, the other side, or neutral. But the majority of countries and people are somewhat more worried and pessimistic, because many decisions and actions "add fuel to the fire".

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/hoi-nghi-thuong-dinh-nato-nam-2024-va-nhung-van-de-nong-cua-the-gioi-278496.html