Leaders of Nato’s 30 nations meet in Madrid at the end of June for what the secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, has dubbed an “historic and transformative” summit. The war in Ukraine provides the backdrop, but preparations for the meeting began well before the Russian invasion. The conflict will focus minds all the more.
The most substantive item on the agenda is an updating of Nato’s key Strategic Concept – which sets the alliance’s values and strategic objectives for the next decade. The current version, adopted in 2010, has served Nato well – but it was based on premises that no longer apply. Then, the global war on terror and Nato’s role in expeditionary operations as far afield as Afghanistan were what determined its purpose. Now, according to deputy secretary general Mircea Geoană, speaking at a conference in Copenhagen on June 10, Nato is more preoccupied with a new era of what he referred to as great power competition – focusing on Russia and China.
It seems certain that a new document will be adopted. Russian belligerence has helped forge agreement, as has a growing appreciation of the “systemic challenges” posed by China.
