NATO's Parlamentariske Forsamling 2019-20, Det Udenrigspolitiske Nævn 2019-20
NPA Alm.del Bilag 36, UPN Alm.del Bilag 157
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NATO DEFENCE
MINISTERS’ MEETING,
17-18 JUNE 2020
Policy Brief
110 SPE 20 E | Original: English | 18 June 2020
This Policy Brief is presented for information only and does not
represent the official view of the Assembly.
 UPN, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 157: Policy Brief from NATO Defence Ministers' Meeting June 2020
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110 SPE 20 E
NATO DEFENCE
MINISTERS’ MEETING,
17-18 JUNE 2020:
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Agenda
•
Deterrence and defence,
incl. the
response to Russia’s new missiles
•
NATO missions and operations, esp.
Afghanistan
and
Iraq
•
Preparations for a possible
second COVID-19 wave
•
Update of guidelines for
national resilience
Decisions on
•
A balanced political and military package
in response to Russia’s growing
nuclear capabilities
•
COVID-19 response:
a)
new operational plan,
b)
stockpile of medical equipment,
and c)
fund
for the acquisition of critical medical supplies and services
•
Updated baseline requirements for national resilience
Other discussion themes
•
China’s rise and the
need for Beijing to engage in arms control
•
Reflection Process on NATO 2030
•
Announced US troop reduction in Germany
•
The situation in Libya
Partner Participation
•
Australia
(for the first time),
Finland,
and
Sweden
•
EU High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell Fontelles
I.
DETERRENCE AND DEFENCE, INCL. THE
RESPONSE TO RUSSIA’S NEW MISSILES
DECISIONS
•
Ministers agreed on:
o
a
balanced package of political and military elements
in response to Russia’s growing suite
of nuclear capable missiles, notably by:
▪
strengthening
NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence;
▪
the acquisition of
new air and missile defence systems
by some Allies;
▪
investments into
advanced conventional capabilities,
incl. 5th generation fighter aircraft;
▪
adaptation of
intelligence
processes;
▪
adaptation of
exercises;
and
▪
additional steps to
maintain a safe, secure, and effective NATO nuclear deterrent.
BACKGROUND
•
•
•
Russia’s
growing arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric
have
security implications for the Alliance.
Russia deployed
SSC-8 missiles,
which led to the demise of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF)
Treaty. These missiles are dual-capable, mobile, and hard to detect; can reach European cities with
little warning; and lower the nuclear threshold.
Russia modernises its
intercontinental ballistic missiles;
deployed the first
Avangard
hypersonic
glide vehicles;
tested the
Kinzhal
air-launched ballistic missile system;
and develops the
SSC-X-9-Skyfall nuclear-powered cruise missile.
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110 SPE 20 E
ADDITIONAL NOTES
•
•
NATO Secretary General
Stoltenberg made clear that “We
will maintain our deterrence and defence
but
we will not mirror Russia.
We have
no intention to deploy new land-based nuclear missiles
in Europe.”
Moreover, “A
new arms race would benefit nobody.”
Ministers also met in the
Nuclear Planning Group
(which includes all Allies regardless of their nuclear
status
–
except for France upon its own wishes). The
NATO Secretary General stressed that “NATO’s
nuclear sharing arrangements have served us well for decades.
Allowing us to forge common
ground on nuclear issues. The NATO nuclear deterrent in Europe remains vital for peace and freedom
in Europe.”
Ministers also discussed
effective arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation,
to which
NATO remains strongly committed. The United States is keeping Allies informed of US-Russia
discussions on extending new START. Allies also urge China to engage in arms control (see below).
NATO PREPARATIONS FOR A POSSIBLE SECOND COVID-19 WAVE
•
II.
DECISIONS
•
Ministers agreed on:
o
o
o
a
new operational plan
for a COVID-19 second wave;
a
stockpile of medical equipment
for immediate assistance to Allies and partners; and
a
fund for the acquisition of critical medical supplies and services.
BACKGROUND
•
Since the beginning, NATO and Allied armed forces have played a key role in supporting civilian efforts
o
With some
350 flights
airlifting hundreds of tons of critical supplies around the world;
o
Almost
100 field hospitals;
o
And more than
half a million of troops
have supported the civilian response.
Allies are now preparing for
future health crises.
For more information and concrete examples of bilateral and NATO assistance to Allies, see the NATO
factsheet
NATO’s Response to the COVID-19
Pandemic.
•
•
ADDITIONAL NOTES
•
•
In a sign of Allied unity and solidarity, many Allies already
offered to donate medical equipment
to
the stockpile and to
contribute to the acquisition fund.
Allies remain committed to
help each other and partners
and to
work together with other
international actors,
notably the European Union
III.
UPDATE OF NATIONAL RESILIENCE GUIDELINES
DECISIONS
•
Ministers agreed on:
o
updated
baseline requirements for national resilience
(see below) to better account for
▪
cyber threats;
▪
risks to
security of supply chains,
and
▪
negative consequences of
foreign ownership and control.
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110 SPE 20 E
BACKGROUND
THE SEVEN BASELINE REQUIREMENTS FOR CIVIL PREPAREDNESS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Assured continuity of government and critical government services:
for instance the ability to make decisions,
communicate them and enforce them in a crisis;
Resilient energy supplies:
back-up plans and power grids, internally and across borders;
Ability to deal effectively with uncontrolled movement of people,
and to de-conflict
these movements from NATO’s
military deployments;
Resilient food and water resources:
ensuring these supplies are safe from disruption or sabotage;
Ability to deal with mass casualties:
ensuring that civilian health systems can cope and that sufficient medical supplies
are stocked and secure;
Resilient civil communications systems:
ensuring that telecommunications and cyber networks function even under crisis
conditions, with sufficient back-up capacity.
(This
requirement was updated in November 2019 by NATO Defence Ministers, who stressed the need for reliable
communications systems including 5G, robust options to restore these systems, priority access to national authorities in
times of crisis, and the thorough assessments of all risks to communications systems.);
and
Resilient transport systems:
ensuring that NATO forces can move across Alliance territory rapidly and that civilian services
can rely on transportation networks, even in a crisis.
7.
(agreed by Allied Heads of State and Government at the Warsaw Summit in 2016)
For more information on these, see NATO’s dedicated webpage:
Resilience and Article 3
ADDITIONAL NOTES
•
Asked about
discussions on 5G,
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg stated:
“resilience, the
protection of our infrastructure, the concerns about foreign ownership and foreign control, is on the
NATO agenda” […] We don’t mention specific countries or specific companies, but when we now
recently updated one of the other baseline requirements on telecommunications, we were very specific
about what kind of concerns, what kind of threats Allies should take into account, analyse and make
risk assessments about before they make decisions on, for instance, 5G.”
NATO MISSIONS AND OPERATIONS, ESP. AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ
IV.
DISCUSSIONS
•
•
Ministers discussed
NATO missions and operations,
notably in Afghanistan and Iraq, which have
received COVID-19 assistance after requests made through NATO.
Afghanistan:
o
Ministers reiterated
a strong commitment to Afghanistan’s long-term
security,
which is vital
for progress in the peace process.
o
Allies are
adjusting their presence
in Afghanistan and
will consider further adjustments
in
close coordination among Allies.
o
The NATO Secretary General underlined that “The
Taliban have to live up to their commitments
[reduce violence and break all bonds with Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups], take part in intra-
Afghan negotiations and make real compromises for lasting peace.”
Iraq:
o
NATO and the Allies remain
committed to working with Iraq in the fight against international
terrorism,
incl. to ensure Daesh does not return.
o
Ministers reiterated their
commitment to stepping up their efforts
in full consultation with the
Iraqi government and the Global Coalition.
•
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110 SPE 20 E
V.
•
OTHER DISCUSSION THEMES
China’s rise and the need for Beijing to engage in arms
control
o
Ministers discussed
China’s
developing military capabilities and the need for China to
engage in arms control.
o
Allies expressed concern about
China’s heavy investments in new, modern military
capabilities,
including new nuclear warheads and new delivery systems on land, at sea, in the
air. For instance, according to the NATO Secretary General, over the last five years China has
added 80 more ships and submarines to their navy
–
equivalent to the total amount of ships and
submarines in the navy of the United Kingdom.
o
NATO’s growing attention to China is not about “moving
into the South China Sea, but about the
fact that
China’s coming closer to us.
We see them in the Arctic. We see them in Africa. We
see them investing heavily in infrastructure in our own countries. And, of course, we see them
also in cyberspace.”
o
NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg argued “As
a major military power,
China also has major
responsibilities.
So as a rising global power, it is
high time for China to participate in global
arms control.”
o
NATO’s approach to China will be one of the themes in
the reflection process.
The NATO Secretary General’s Reflection Process on
NATO 2030
o
The NATO Secretary General
updated the Ministers on his reflection process on
NATO 2030,
which he had launched the previous week.
(For more on this, see the Secretary General’s speech
here)
o
He stressed that
NATO 2030
was
“about
keeping our Alliance
strong militarily, making it
stronger politically, and more global.”
o
Among the themes explicitly mentioned by the NATO Secretary General for the reflection process
are
China
and the need to strengthen
NATO’s increasingly
global partnerships.
Announced US troop reduction in Germany
o
Ministers discussed the issue during the meeting.
o
No final US government decision on manner and timeline of implementation.
o
During a phone call with the US President, the NATO Secretary General’s
main message on
the
US presence in Europe
was “it’s
good for Europe, but it’s also good for North America
and
the United States, because the transatlantic bond is essential to the strength and the success of
the Alliance.”
o
The NATO Secretary General stressed that “over
the last years is actually that
the United States
has increased their presence throughout Europe
and also in other countries, including in the
Baltic countries, in Poland, in the Black Sea Region. We have more US exercises”.
o
The NATO Secretary General welcomed the
clarity of US Secretary of Defence
on the US
commitment and consultations with Allies on the way forward.
o
On
burden sharing,
the NATO Secretary General noted that Allied defence budgets had
increased by 130 billion USD since 2016. But there was still a way to go to reach the 2% GDP
target.
o
The NATO Secretary General noted
a dialogue was ongoing within NATO.
The situation in Libya
o
Libya was
not on the agenda, but several Allies raised the issue,
due to the security
implications for the Alliance.
o
NATO strongly supports
the UN-led efforts in Libya
and the
Berlin Process.
It is also concerned
about
Russia’s growing presence.
o
Asked about the
incident involving a French navy vessel
engaged in NATO’s Operation Sea
Guardian
and a Turkish navy vessel,
the Secretary General confirmed that NATO military
authorities were investigating the incident to clarify what happened. He also reaffirmed that
“NATO,
of course, supports the implementation of UN decisions, including UN arms embargoes.”
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•
•
•
 UPN, Alm.del - 2019-20 - Bilag 157: Policy Brief from NATO Defence Ministers' Meeting June 2020
110 SPE 20 E
o
Asked about possible NATO support to EU operation Irini
–
which aims to enforce the UN arms
embargo in Libya, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg mentioned that talks and contacts were
ongoing but
no decision was taken.
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