NATO leaders meet in Belgium with key issues to address

Over the weekend, the major monuments in Brussels have been dyed blue for the NATO summit to be held today in the Belgian capital. This meeting will aim to "set an ambitious agenda for transatlantic security in a competitive world through the NATO 2030 initiative", as explained by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg.

The withdrawal from Afghanistan, due to be completed on 11 September, will be one of the main issues to be discussed, in addition to the situation in the country after the withdrawal of troops. The challenges facing NATO will also be discussed. "We are in an era of global competition, with many simultaneous threats and challenges. Russia's aggressiveness, the rise of China, the permanent threat of terrorism, increasingly sophisticated sabotage, climate change...," Stoltenberg said.

This summit will be the first in which Joe Biden will participate as President of the United States. As was the case during the G7 meeting in the United Kingdom, the US president will convey a message of unity and will seek to promote cooperative policies with his allies, unlike his predecessor, Donald Trump. The Republican president's era saw four turbulent years within NATO, with ongoing tension and the constant threat of Washington leaving the Alliance.

For the time being, Biden has already given the event the prominence it deserves, calling his trip to Europe a "defining moment for democracy". In addition to the G7 and NATO summits, Biden will conclude his week in Europe with a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The meeting between the two leaders comes at a time of heightened tension between Moscow and Washington that has been growing since Biden arrived at the White House. 
"Can democracies come together to deliver real results for our people in a rapidly changing world, and will the democratic alliances and institutions that shaped much of the last century prove their mettle against threats and adversaries? I believe the answer is yes, and this week in Europe we have a chance to prove it," the Democratic president wrote in an op-ed column for The Washington Post.

With these words, Biden announced the withdrawal of NATO troops from Afghanistan. In a historic agreement with the Taliban government, Washington and its allies promised to leave the country before 11 September. Approximately 9,600 military personnel will leave the Asian country after almost two decades of conflict.

While it is uncertain what the situation in Afghanistan will be like after NATO's departure, many citizens and experts fear an increase in power struggles. Also of particular concern is the spread of extremist groups, which have recently carried out deadly attacks. For this reason, even if troops leave the country, NATO plans to continue financially supporting Afghan security forces. Another Pentagon idea is to establish military bases in nearby states in case Daesh or Al-Qaeda pose a threat to stability.

Ankara proposed administering Kabul's international airport after the withdrawal of troops, but the Taliban rejected the offer. "Turkey was part of NATO forces for the last 20 years, so they should withdraw from Afghanistan on the basis of the agreement we signed with the US on 29 February 2020," said a Taliban spokesman.

This Turkish plan, although rejected, has served to bring Turkey and the United States together in talks. The Ottoman army is the second largest in NATO after the US, making the Eurasian country an important player in the Alliance. However, relations between Ankara and its allies are not at their best. It has had disagreements with the EU over gas reserves in the Mediterranean and its withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention against gender-based violence. With Washington, the discord stems from the sanctions imposed by the Trump administration. Biden's accession to power did not seem to improve the situation, as Erdogan criticised his US counterpart by calling Putin a 'murderer'. Also noteworthy is Turkey's purchase of the S-400 missile defence system from Russia.

However, although Ankara has recently seemed to prefer to move closer to Moscow than to Brussels and Washington, the Afghanistan issue may become a common ground between Biden and Erdogan. The Turkish leader has assured that their meeting at the NATO summit "will be the beginning of a new era".

NATO's funding may be an issue of controversy among members. The Secretary General has already warned that increased military investment is on the agenda for the Alliance's future. "We need to invest more and better, so we should spend together to meet our high level of ambition," Stoltenberg said.

This issue has always caused disagreement within the Alliance, with leaders rejecting increased military spending or public criticism. This goal will undoubtedly be a challenge given the current economic landscape caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Climate change is another issue that NATO leaders will address. Both Brussels and Washington are preparing projects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50 per cent over the next 10 years. One of the regions particularly affected by global warming is the Arctic. In this area, Russia is also struggling to gain influence over the other Arctic Council countries.

The conservative Heritage Foundation has urged NATO to discuss the Arctic issue during the summit. "Although the Arctic region has been an area of low conflict among the Arctic powers, NATO should consider the implications of Russia's recent aggressive military behaviour," the organisation urged in a statement. Moscow is interested in the region for its natural resources, as well as the possibility of creating new sea lanes. Washington has accused Russia of "militarising" the area, while Russian officials defend their actions as "protecting the borders, without threatening anyone".

Another place where Russia and NATO members have clashed is Ukraine. Last April Moscow decided to deploy 20,000 troops just 100 kilometres from the border with Kiev, causing tensions with the EU and the US. The Kremlin claimed to have mobilised its troops because of 'NATO's warlike activities that threaten Russia'.

Since its creation in 1949, NATO has been involved in peacekeeping missions, such as in Kosovo and Afghanistan. It is also an indispensable body for global peace and security, fostering cooperation among its 30 members. As Stoltenberg explains, "NATO is the most successful Alliance in history, because for more than seventy years it has changed as the world has changed". The alliance was created at the height of the Cold War and, unlike its main rival, the Warsaw Pact, survived the end of the conflict and evolved over time. Today it remains a key military and peacekeeping institution, working with other bodies such as the European Union and the United Nations.