NATO seeks strategic independence from US, says official

Marcos Perestrello, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, spoke about the challenges posed by the Donald Trump administration. He believes these challenges could help NATO strengthen itself. Perestrello made his comments during the Raisina Dialogue, a prominent conference, alongside the Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze. He compared the current situation to the COVID-19 pandemic, which showed Europe’s overdependence on China. Perestrello noted that EU countries have also realized their heavy reliance on the United States for security. He sees this as an opportunity for Europe to gain more independence in strategic matters. Perestrello urged European nations to increase defense spending and develop new partnerships. He mentioned strengthening relations with India as a potential avenue for cooperation. He said that the challenges from the new U.S. administration could make NATO more coherent and powerful. When asked about the ability of smaller European economies to cope with increased defense spending, Perestrello stressed that war is more costly than maintaining peace. He emphasized the importance of building real defense capacities rather than just increasing budgets. He pointed out that despite spending increases in the past decade, Europe still lacks the necessary capabilities. He called for discussions in June to determine what capacities are truly needed.