On the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), a 38-point declaration and a six-point “Commitment on Long-Term Security Assistance to Ukraine” were published after the NATO Summit held in Washington, the capital of the USA, between 9-11 July 2024.[1]
“Support for Ukraine” (NATO’s security and training support to Ukraine, financial commitment, air defence system and ammunition assistance, more bilateral security agreements and deepened military interoperability practices), which Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated in his pre-Summit press conference as the most urgent issue to be discussed, was high on the Summit agenda.[2]
The first five articles of the Summit Declaration addressed general issues, the negative impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on the peace and stability of the Euro-Atlantic region, the emphasis on Russia as the most significant threat to the security of the Alliance, the statement that the Russia-China strategic partnership and the efforts to reshape the rules-based international order are a source of concern, and the satisfaction with the participation of Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenski and the leaders of Australia, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and the EU in the Summit.
Article 6 expresses satisfaction that two-thirds of the Alliance members have met the 2% commitment on defence expenditure, while Article 7 mentions efforts to strengthen collective defense, such as the deployment of combat-ready forces on NATO’s Eastern Flank, the development of a new generation of NATO defence plans, and the creation of an Allied Reaction Force (ARF) to replace the NATO Response Force (NRF).
Article 7 also mentions the innovations made in the field of collective defence, and in this context; frequent execution of large-scale exercises and trainings such as the “Steadfast Defender 24”[3] exercise to demonstrate defence capabilities, focusing on the development of air and missile defence capabilities following the NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP), modernisation of air reconnaissance capabilities, These include the full integration of Sweden and Finland into NATO plans and command structure, the enhancement of the capabilities of the NATO Space Operations Centre in Germany, and the establishment of a NATO Integrated Cyber Defence Centre within Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE).[4]
Articles 8 and 10 relate to the Integrated Air and Missile Defence system, Ballistic Missile Defence and Nuclear deterrence. It is stated that NATO’s Integrated Air and Missile Defence policy has been updated to apply a “rotational model” with a focus on Eastern Canada, and that the “Aegis Ashore” system[5] installed in Redzikowo, Poland, as an important component of NATO’s Advanced Operational Capability for Ballistic Missile Defence, complements existing systems in Romania, Spain and Turkey (Kürecik Radar).
In Article 11, it was emphasised that NATO’s “Commitment to Industrial Capability Expansion”[6] was adopted, including urgent action to strengthen the defence industry across the Alliance and provide the most critical capabilities, and to strengthen the commitment to NATO standards.
After the following articles on hybrid threats, disinformation and disinformation, Articles 15-21 address the Russian-Ukrainian War and Russian aggression. These articles express satisfaction with Allied commitments to provide Ukraine with critical additional air defence systems and other military capabilities, as well as activities to help Ukraine defend itself and deter future Russian aggression. In this context, it was stated that it was decided to establish the “NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (NSATU)”, that within the framework of the “Long-Term Security Assistance Commitment to Ukraine” detailed in the annex to the Summit Declaration, Allies plan to provide a minimum of €40 billion in core financial support over the next year, to establish the “NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC)”[7] and to appoint a NATO Senior Representative to Ukraine.
Article 16 states that Ukraine will continue to be supported on its path towards full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership, and will be able to extend an invitation to Ukraine to join the Alliance “when Allies agree and conditions are met”.
Article 19 condemned Russia’s irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, including its announcement that it would deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus, and expressed deep concern at reports that it had used chemical weapons against Ukrainian forces.
Article 20 states that Russia has intensified its aggressive hybrid actions against the Allies through proxies, while Article 21 states that new proposals will be developed at the next Summit on NATO’s strategic approach towards Russia, taking into account the changing security environment.
In Article 22 on counter-terrorism, it was noted that, in order to further strengthen NATO’s role in the fight against terrorism, NATO had today approved the “Updated Policy Guidelines on Counter-Terrorism” and the “Updated Action Plan for the International Community on Enhancing NATO’s Role in Counter-Terrorism”, and welcomed the role of the Special Counter-Terrorism Coordinator appointed by the Secretary-General.
In Article 24, Belarus’s opening of its territory and infrastructure to Russia’s use and the negative effects of the deepening political and military integration between the two countries on regional stability and the Alliance’s defence; in Article 25, North Korea and Iran’s direct military support to Russia, such as ammunition and drones, and the deepening ties between North Korea and Russia; and in Articles 26 and 27, Russia-China relations and China’s financial/political support to Russia and China’s nuclear armament were criticised.
Within the scope of Articles 28-32 on partnerships, Article 28 welcomes Moldova’s efforts to pursue democratic reforms, as in the case of Bosnia-Herzegovina’s European integration, while Article 29 underlines the importance of “the full participation of non-EU Allies in the EU’s defence efforts” within the strategic partnership between NATO and the EU. In Article 30, the importance of the developments in the Indo-Pacific region for NATO, as they directly affect Euro-Atlantic security, and in Article 31, the strategic importance of the Western Balkans and the Black Sea regions for the Alliance, and in this context, the launch of the “Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group”[8] was welcomed.
The last article on Partnership issues, Article 32, deals with NATO’s relations with its southern neighbours and states that the Partnerships aim to “promote greater security and stability in the Middle East and Africa and contribute to peace and prosperity in the region” and details the action plan in Kuwait, Jordan and Iraq.
Article 33 dealt with new technologies, Article 34 with climate change, Article 35 with women, peace and security, Article 36 thanked NATO personnel and their families, Article 37 thanked Secretary General Stoltenberg, who will hand over his post to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in October, and in the last article it was stated that the next Summit will be held in The Hague, the Netherlands, and in 2026 in Turkey.
When the articles of the Summit Declaration are evaluated; first of all, the emphasis on NATO’s political, economic and military support to Ukraine, as expected, can be read as a signal that its support will continue to increase in the long term, considering that the war with Russia will not end soon. As for NATO membership, which is also included in Ukraine’s constitution, the phrase “when the Allies agree and the conditions are met” in Article 16 indicates that membership is not in question in the near future, and that it will take years until the war ends and the democratic institutions become suitable for NATO membership after the country’s reconstruction is completed, and that expectations for the membership process during this period may lead to an erosion in Ukraine’s belief and trust in NATO.
Articles 6 to 11 show a strong will to strengthen the capabilities of the Alliance and make it more flexible, both individually by increasing the defence expenditures of most Alliance members above the 2% limit, and through the changes in the NATO Force and Command structure, such as the establishment of capability development/new centres and Alliance-wide defence industry strengthening plans. This is noteworthy in that it shows that NATO is in a state of continuous transformation-development against Russia, which it regards as the primary threat, and then against other countries (China, North Korea, Iran), which it regards as threats, and against terrorism, even though it does not fully meet the expectations of Turkey, a member of the Alliance.
The criticism of Belarus, North Korea, Iran, Iran, and China’s support for Russia and their deepening ties with Russia in Articles 24-27 was interpreted to signal that the alliance between these countries would deepen and increase. For example, the joint military exercises conducted by China and Belarus just a few kilometers away from the Polish border just before the summit can be considered as an indicator of this.[9]
When Articles 28-32 on Partnerships are interpreted, the statement “full participation of non-EU Allies in the EU’s defense efforts” is considered important for Turkey, while the emphasis on “the direct impact of developments in the Indo-Pacific region on Euro-Atlantic security”, which is also included in the previous Summit Declarations and the Strategic Concept for 2022, is found to be remarkable. However, it does not seem possible at this stage for the US to use NATO as an instrument for its interests in the Pacific region against China, whose tone of criticism has increased compared to the previous Summit Declarations. Article 32, which aims to “promote greater security and stability in the Middle East and Africa and contribute to peace and prosperity in the region”, was interpreted as the only statement in the Declaration that indirectly referred to the Gaza issue.
Finally, the comments about NATO’s relatively successful response to the challenge from the East (Russia) since 2014, but inadequate response to the “challenge from the South”[10], are correct. While it is not clear what the “NATO contribution to peace and prosperity in the Middle East” in the communiqué will look like, it is considered a double standard that the unanimity against Russian aggression in Ukraine, as criticised by the Spanish Prime Minister[11], did not extend to Israel’s attacks on Gaza.
[1] “Washington Summit Declaration”, NATO, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_227678.htm?utm_source=multi&utm_medium=smc&utm_campaign=100724%26summit%26washington, (Date of Access: 11.07.2024).
[2] “NATO Secretary General press conference ahead of the NATO Summit in Washington 🇺🇸, 05 JUL 2024”, YouTube, https://youtu.be/VEA8huhMznY?si=FJv6OrKEGzL7-rmc, (Date of Access: 11.07.2024).
[3] “Steadfast Defender 24”, NATO, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/222847.htm#R604349-D73a3129-76FTTZ, (Date of Access: 11.07.2024).
[4] “Allies agree new NATO Integrated Cyber Defence Centre”, NATO, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_227647.htm, (Date of Access: 11.07.2024).
[5] “NATO missile defence base in Poland now mission ready”, NATO, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/news_227649.htm?selectedLocale=en, (Date of Access: 12.07.2024).
[6] “NATO Industrial Capacity Expansion Pledge”, NATO, https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_227504.htm, (Date of Access: 12.07.2024).
[7] “It will make us more resilient to future threats: Umerov on the NATO-Ukraine Joint Training Center”, UNN, https://unn.ua/en/news/it-will-make-us-more-resilient-to-future-threats-umerov-on-the-nato-ukraine-joint-training-center, (Date of Access: 12.07.2024).
[8] “Türkiye, Romania and Bulgaria launch Black Sea Mine Countermeasures Task Group”, Türkiye Today, https://www.turkiyetoday.com/turkiye/turkiye-romania-and-bulgaria-launch-black-sea-mine-countermeasures-task-group-25489/, (Date of Access: 12.07.2024).
[9] “Çin askerleri Belarus’ta: İki ülke orduları ortak tatbikat yapacak”, Sputnik Türkiye, https://anlatilaninotesi.com.tr/20240706/cin-askerleri-belarusta-iki-ulke-ordulari-ortak-tatbikat-yapacak-1085599438.html?ysclid=lyifoznhq860397571, (Date of Access: 12.07.2024).
[10] Fatih Ceylan, Savaşlar NATO Zirvesine Damga Vuracak, Ekonomi Diplomatik.
[11] “Spanish PM Sanchez Criticizes West’s ‘Double Standards’ on Gaza at NATO Summit”, Morocco World News, https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2024/07/363825/spanish-pm-sanchez-criticizes-wests-double-standards-on-gaza-at-nato-summit, (Date of Access: 12.07.2024).
