The nine main issues addressed by Allies
June 2022
NATO leaders gathered in Madrid on June 29 and 30 at what has been described as a historic Summit. Among the agreements reached, one can highlight that the United States will send more weapons and troops to Europe, as proof of a reinforced transatlantic bond and the Russian invasion of Ukraine; and the Allies agreed to increase its military presence in the Eastern Flank of the Alliance with 300,000 troops, a sevenfold increase from the current level.
But if there is something to keep an eye on from this year’s NATO Summit, that is the publication of the Strategic Concept of Madrid. This is the eighth since the organization was born and the fourth that has been publicly released. The document reaffirms the objective of ensuring collective defence based on a 360-degree approach by re-defining NATO's three main tasks: deterrence and defence, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security, to tackle “global and interconnected” threats. And the Middle East, North Africa, the Sahel, the Western Balkans, the Black Sea region and the Indo-Pacific are identified as regions of strategic interest to NATO. There are nine main highlights:
Deterrence and defence
Russia and the Eastern Flank
China
Southern Flank
Climate change
Cybersecurity
Terrorism
NATO enlargement
Partnerships
NATO closes its Madrid Strategic Concept (2022) by affirming that the Alliance 'is indispensable to Euro-Atlantic security', as it guarantees the peace, freedom and prosperity of the Allies. As such, member states reaffirm their unity as a defence against those who seek to undermine 'our security, our values and our democratic way of life'.