Putin watches closely: that is what the most important meeting in NATO’s history is all about

The defense alliance has guaranteed the security of its members since 1949. If one of the 31 member countries is attacked, the other NATO countries automatically rush to help. Article 5 of the NATO treaty provides for this. Membership of the military superpower USA is practically a guarantee that NATO cannot lose a war.

Only European countries can join (Canada and the US are an exception). They should spend at least 2 percent of their national budget on defense, but only a minority do.

The overarching question is whether Ukraine will get the green light to join NATO in the future. An immediate decision to join is in fact impossible. In fact, political voices in the US and especially in Hungary believe that the NATO door should be slammed once and for all in Ukraine’s face. NATO cannot afford to challenge Russia in this way and provoke a war between the two largest nuclear powers in the world (Russia and the US).

A second important point seemed to be the possible entry of Sweden, which was blocked by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (69) (decisions must be taken unanimously in NATO). Surprisingly, however, on the eve of the summit, it became known that Erdogan was giving up his resistance. The Turkish president has During a meeting with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, he agreed to submit the accession protocol to the Turkish parliament as soon as possible, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, 64, said Monday evening.

It is conceivable that NATO will give Ukraine security guarantees such as exist between America and Israel. The United States has promised the Jewish state that it will always be “one step ahead” militarily. By regularly supplying modern weapons, NATO could put Ukraine in a similar situation.

Kotryna Jukneviciute, a defense expert at US military think tank Rand Corporation, told Blick that one should not forget that Ukraine’s accession is also in NATO’s interest. “No NATO country understands the Russian military or Russian culture as well as Ukraine. NATO could benefit enormously from Ukraine’s experience,” emphasizes the Lithuanian.

Hardly any Member State spends the planned 2% of its national budget on defence. In other words: the alliance delivers more than it delivers. That could be dangerous – especially if NATO critic Donald Trump (76) is re-elected as US president next year. He has already threatened NATO with an American departure.

The fact that all decisions must be taken by unanimity also complicates matters. Putin nerds like Erdogan or Hungarian President Viktor Orban (60) can easily blackmail the other NATO members.

Former Prime Minister of Norway Jens Stoltenberg (64) had to postpone his planned resignation as NATO Secretary General for a second time because no successor could be found. Changing top personnel in the middle of a crisis would be potentially dangerous. In addition, the requirements for the new leader are high. Most Member States prefer a woman, if possible from a country that meets the 2% defense spending requirement. There are some female candidates in the Baltic states: Estonian president Kaja Kallas (46), for example, or her predecessor Kersti Kaljulaid (53).