When NATO leaders meet for a summit on Tuesday, they will ask Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to waive his veto over Finland and Sweden’s application to join the military alliance as the West tries to send a message of firmness to Russia and China.
The Madrid summit, which is taking place in the shadow of Russia’s conflict in Ukraine, comes at a crucial time for the transatlantic relationship following failures in Afghanistan and internal strife under the administration of Donald Trump, the former US President, who threatened to withdraw Washington from the nuclear alliance.
According to diplomats, talks between members of the frequently fractious organisation are still ongoing, but leaders also hope to reach an agreement on increasing military assistance to Ukraine, increasing joint defence spending, reaffirming their resolve to confront China’s military rise, and putting more troops on alert to for Baltics’ defence.
Spain is also pushing for more NATO attention on the southern flank to address migration and militant groups in the Sahel region of Africa. The king of Spain will host a dinner for leaders.
Part of the summit is likely to be attended by the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea as part of a larger U.S. effort to confront China with a more robust Western presence in the Indo-Pacific area.
In a speech last week, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg pledged, ‘We will do more to ensure we can protect every square inch of allied territory, at all times and against any danger.’
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