NGRNArticle published in Bloomberg
European nations can’t secure a lasting peace in Ukraine without American help and President Donald Trump is right to demand that they significantly ramp up defense spending, said Pavel, a former top-ranking NATO general. But it would take years to replace some protections now provided by Washington, he told Bloomberg Television in an interview in his office in Prague.
“The US will try to exert pressure on Europeans to do it faster,” said Pavel, who will represent the Czech Republic at a June 24-25 NATO summit in The Hague. “Let’s create enough pressure on Europeans, but let’s not push them over the cliff.”
Pavel’s plea comes two weeks before the leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are expected to agree to spend at least 5% of GDP on defense — a win for Trump, who has long pushed for Europe to invest more in its security.
The goal for The Hague summit and beyond is to “keep the Americans engaged” in the region, according to the Czech head of state. He expressed optimism that allies would agree on higher military investments and the US would uphold NATO’s Article 5, the collective defense clause that commits members to protect each other.
“I believe that it is achievable that we will stay united,” the Czech president said. “European allies would welcome a much stronger expression that Russia is, and will be at least in the short term, our biggest security challenge.”
‘Extremely Short’
Pavel, 63, said the summit declaration will be “extremely short” and likely refrain from earlier pledges of financial and military support for Ukraine, as well as the prospect of the country joining the alliance.
Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing a preliminary draft, that the one-page declaration focuses solely on defense spending. It’s a sharp departure from last year’s statement that ran more than 5,000 words and included a pledge of long-term security assistance for Ukraine.