Strong NATO, together with strong Europe, will be reliable and confident force, thus able to maintain peace, - Karis
Estonian President Alar Karis has called on NATO allies to increase investment in defense, as Russia is a threat to the whole of Europe and NATO countries.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by ERR.
"Europe is neither economically nor politically conquered. However, now, more than ever, Europe must become strong militarily. NATO is the cornerstone of Western security. But the foundation of NATO is Europe.
Europe is moving in the right direction in strengthening its defense capabilities. Much has already been done, but there is still a long way to go. Estonia will invest over 5% of GDP in defense for at least the next two years. This is not a political figure - it is a calculation of the real costs of protecting Estonia and fulfilling our NATO commitments, made by our experts," Karis emphasized.
The Estonian president also called on the allies to do the same, adding that during the Cold War, the average military spending of NATO countries was 4% of GDP. Karis noted that today's threats are even more serious.
"By not investing the 2% of GDP promised in 2014, Europe has lost hundreds of billions in defense capabilities. We need real deterrence now, not in ten years.
The complexity of the task often overshadows its importance. Some say that it is natural for countries that are neighbors of Russia to spend more on defense. They don't understand that Russia's aggression is not only directed against its neighbors, it is directed against the whole of Europe and NATO. It is against a different way of life - our way of life. And in a war with Russia, there will be no safe place in Europe. Every European country is Russia's neighbor," Karis added.
