As Summit Host, Spain Urges NATO to Watch its Southern Flank

A general view of M'Berra camp in Bassikounou on June 7, 2022. - M'Berra camp, in South East Mauritania, is one the largest camps in West Africa hosting refugees, fleeing multifaceted violence in Mali's central Mopti and Timbuktu (north), violence allocated to extremist groups, Malian forces and the newly deployed elements of the Wagner Group. (AFP)

While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is certain to dominate an upcoming NATO summit in Madrid, Spain and other member nations are quietly pushing the Western alliance to consider how mercenaries aligned with Russian President Vladimir Putin are spreading Moscow's influence to Africa.

As the host of the summit taking place from Tuesday to Thursday, Spain wants to emphasize its proximity to Africa as it lobbies for a greater focus on Europe’s southern flank in a new document outlining NATO's vision of its security challenges and tasks.