NATO's new strategic roadmap to be announced at Madrid Summit

In the face of a vague conflict that could be prolonged over time on a larger scale, in which China plays a crucial role, without ignoring new, less conventional challenges such as cybersecurity, hybrid threats and the consequences of climate change, Carmen Romero, NATO's Deputy Secretary General for Diplomacy, has announced, during a conference organised by the Royal Noble Corps of the Principality of Asturias (in collaboration with the Instituto de Estudios Históricos Bances y Valdés, at the Club Financiero Génova), the elaboration of a new strategic concept for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, which will be presented at the NATO Summit in Madrid. "The NATO Summit in Madrid will launch NATO's new political strategy, as the 2010 strategy is now obsolete. Let's prepare for an unpredictable world". The first draft of the text will be discussed in the coming weeks, and once negotiations have been completed, the document will be made public and presented at the Madrid Summit at the end of June. 

As a result, the Atlantic Alliance will not change its purpose of arms control and risk reduction, but will adapt to new challenges, so that NATO's three missions (the new concept will maintain them) will be more intense collective defence, cooperative security and crisis management. Four pillars will make up the new concept: investing more in security and defence; a 360-degree deterrence policy (Deterrence Initiative of the previous concept); strengthening the participation of more partners; and reinforcing intelligence capabilities in the face of hybrid threats. "Spain will accelerate compliance with the 2% of GDP. It is a very valuable member contributing to Shared Security. The efforts are underway; each country will do it at its own pace," Romero said.

NATO's new concept will include the threat from the south as one of its priorities, with a package of measures targeting the Sahel and Mauritania. "We are not neglecting the terrorist threat, for which we are alert and well prepared," Carmen Romero reassured the audience of the diplomatic corps accredited in the Spanish capital and its military attachés, and "'What can we expect from the new concept'," the NATO Deputy Secretary General for Diplomacy posed the question. Apparently, there is already consensus on the discussion, which will address questions such as how to deal with the strategic competition around us, the posture of deterrence, and the global and political approach to partnerships. "Russia and China challenge us at all levels and disrupt our way of life, but a dialogue with Beijing, which is our competitor, but not our adversary in a systemic challenge, is needed on our agenda.

The NATO deputy secretary-general for diplomacy warned that China is developing cutting-edge military technology that does not conform to the Disarmament Agreement, making its production unlimited. "South Korea will understand the power to work politically and militarily. China is taking over critical security infrastructure".

According to Carmen Romero, when Russia invaded Ukraine on 24 February, "an unstable, unforeseeable episode of war", it was possible to activate the Defence Plans and deploy troops, Rapid Response Forces, which took place within hours of the Russian invasion. Some 40,000 troops were sent to eastern Ukraine, under direct Alliance command. "And the turning point came in 2014 with the illegal annexation of Crimea," concluded Romero.

"The architecture of European security was upended on 24 February," continued Romero, as the world faced the most serious security crisis since World War II, provoked by the Kremlin's aggression against Ukraine. "It is an aggression against all the rights of an independent state seeking its own future. Ukraine has a legitimate and sovereign government".

On 24 February, Vladimir Putin did not expect strong Ukrainian resistance, nor did he expect the West to show unity, let alone the firm response of NATO and the EU, imposing a heavy cost on Russia. "On 12 January, we were faced with a Russian government and an agenda of common interests, but the halt of its military deployment on Ukrainian borders was in vain and the Kremlin opted for confrontation," Romero explained.

The new reality in NATO is its reaction with determination and unity in the idea of maintaining the peace of member countries; protecting the security of 30 nations; containing the conflict, strengthening deterrence; supporting Ukraine in its right to self-defence (non-lethal assistance, financial support and sending heavy military equipment, grenade launchers, cartridges...) "and joining in solidarity in sanctions and diplomatic isolation".

As is well known, the military organisation does not have troops in Ukraine, although Carmen Romero stressed that Spain is the first country that has been up to the task when called upon to do so, "could the Alliance have done more? At best, you can never do enough. It will be a lesson learned". Certainly, there has been an investment in supporting the Ukrainian security forces with good training and joint work, said Carmen Romero, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy (NATO), at the end of her speech.

Carmen Chamorro, CIP/ACPE Director and International Relations Graduate