NATO meeting in Brussels: a billion for new technologies

NATO wants to be prepared for threats from Russia – and that costs something. One billion euros is due to flow into new technologies by June 2022. Tensions with Russia have recently increased again.

Through a joint fund, NATO members want to invest up to 1 billion euros in defense technologies by the middle of next year. This was announced by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after a two-day meeting of NATO Defense Ministers.

“The new innovation fund will ensure that allies do not miss out on the latest technologies and skills that will be of vital importance to our security,” Stoltenberg said. In addition to 16 other countries, Germany also wants to participate in investments – the amount is still open.

As examples of this technology, NATO named robot systems, self-flying aircraft and hypersonic propulsion systems, which are also being developed by China and Russia.

NATO wants to be prepared for attack scenarios

On Thursday, NATO defense ministers announced that they had agreed to a joint “master plan” to act as a deterrent to Russia. The Ministers stressed that the Russian attacks cannot be assumed. Nevertheless, the alliance wants to be prepared for possible threats from the Russian side in the Baltic states and the Black Sea region.

Sharp criticism came from Russia of NATO’s “confrontational path,” in the words of President Dmitry Peskov. He criticized that “this alliance was not created for peace, but was conceived, designed and created for confrontation,” stressing that under these circumstances “there is no need for dialogue” with NATO.

New tensions between NATO and Moscow

Relations between the Defense Alliance and the Russian government have deteriorated again recently. At the beginning of the month, NATO withdrew its accreditation from eight Russian diplomats, who were said to have served in the Secret Service as members of the Russian mission to NATO. As a result, Russia announced that it would cease its permanent mission to NATO in Brussels from 1 November.