NATO defense ministers to review collective defense measures due to Ukraine crisis (to raise defence spending 2% of their GDP)

NATO Defense Ministers will review collective defense measures in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said at the start of the two-day ministerial meeting on Tuesday. 

Claiming NATO is "facing a new security landscape" because of Ukraine crisis, Mr. Fogh Rasmussen said that "We have already taken immediate steps. In a strong show of solidarity, every single Ally, from both sides of the Atlantic, contributes to bolstering our collective defense, including deployment of ships, aircraft and troops."


In the first working session ministers will review the measures to enhance collective defense that were taken immediately after the start of the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and look at the longer term implications of Russia's aggression against Ukraine, according to a statement issued on Tuesday .

The NATO Secretary General said the Ukraine crisis has shown that the range of security threats NATO is facing is increasing and becoming more unpredictable. "We need to make NATO fitter, faster and more flexible. We will do that through a Readiness Action Plan, to make sure our forces are even more responsive, with the right capabilities, the right training and the right resources. This work is already ongoing, but the crisis makes it more urgent", Mr. Fogh Rasmussen said.

The 28 Allies will also discuss the broader preparations for the Wales Summit in terms of readiness, military capabilities and defense investment.
BRUSSELS, June 3 (Xinhua)
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4/6/14
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• U.S. presses allies to raise defence spending after Ukraine...

....Many NATO allies have slashed defence spending in response to the financial crisis. Only a handful meet NATO's target of spending two percent of their economic output on defence.

• SPENDING INCREASES

Latvia, Lithuania and Romania have announced plans to increase defence spending in response to the Ukraine crisis and Poland also proposed on Tuesday to slightly boost its military budget.
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, who also rammed home the message about the need to halt the slide in defence spending, said he expected allies to make commitments on military spending at their summit in Wales in September.........http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/06/03/ukraine-crisis-nato-idINKBN0EE2BZ20140603
4/6/14
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Related:

• L'Otan soutient l'opération dans l'est de l'Ukraine (Kiev)

• Russia urges Russia-NATO Council to demand that Kiev stops military operation

• NATO Defence Ministers discuss collective defence, Summit priorities

• Defence Ministers to focus on collective defence, Wales Summit

 

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• Bulgarian President calls for ‘more Europe’, gradual increase in defence spending. -(The Nato norm of 2% of GDP)

• Hagel calls on NATO allies must step up defense spending. (2% of their GDP)

• Kerry urges NATO members to increase defense budget. --["Freedom isn't free"]