NATO takes the initiative

The NATO Summit in Madrid has taken the initiative in the face of the threats posed by Russian aggression in Ukraine, in addition to its cyber attacks and its interference with fake news and propaganda, China and its malevolent economic-commercial moves, cyber attacks and its military rearmament, and, on the southern flank, the terrorist regrouping in the Sahel region, the criminal mafias that traffic in people, weapons, drugs, animals and whatever else they can, the uncontrolled waves of immigrants, the control and blackmailing use of energy and raw materials in Africa, and another new development is the Atlantic Alliance's entry into the fight against climate change and the promotion of a specific fund, DIANA, for technological development as an accelerator of defence innovation. The enlargement of the organisation with the entry of Sweden and Finland in just a few months represents the greatest blow to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In Madrid, a NATO is reborn that is confronting Moscow's threats with forceful decisions that will require sacrifices. The deployment of 300,000 troops on the Alliance's eastern flank and the reinforcement of missile defence at the Spanish base in Rota represent a clear desire not to turn its back on Putin's challenge in Ukraine and to send a message of strength to those who seek to use violence to achieve their goals. For the time being, US President Joe Biden has stated categorically that Russia is not going to win in Ukraine and announced a new 800 million dollar arms shipment programme. Beyond the content, the words contained in the new Strategic Concept and the plans to be developed, it is necessary to deal with the day-to-day. Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky insisted at the summit on the need to receive more heavy weapons in order to resist, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's message to Putin is to demand that he stop the aggression. Russia's response has been swift and Putin has played down the importance of NATO's moves, while his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has accused the Alliance of violating the 1990s agreements governing relations between Russia and the Atlantic Alliance.

China is also receiving a serious warning from the allies and terrorist groups and criminal mafias on the southern flank of Africa must realise that the impunity with which they operate in the Sahel region must come to an end. It is clear that the Alliance will defend the entire territory of its member states, and it puts to rest a localist discussion in Spain. By the way, excellent Spanish organisation of an historic summit with King Felipe VI at the head.