Approving the document is one of the main goals of the ongoing summit of NATO leaders in Madrid
A general view of hall during the NATO summit at the Ifema congress centre as Heads of state and government of NATO member countries begin sessions in Madrid, Spain on June 29, 2022. © Getty Images / Dursun Aydemir
The leaders of NATO member states on Wednesday approved the organization’s new Strategic Concept, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Twitter. The key document outlines the US-led bloc’s response to what members perceive as an increasing threat coming from Russia.
The policy blueprint was agreed by the leaders of alliance nations, who have convened in the Spanish capital of Madrid for a two-day summit.
NATO blasted Russia for attacking Ukraine, claiming that the move “has shattered peace and gravely altered our security environment.” It claimed that a “strong, independent Ukraine” was vital for the stability of NATO members and accused Moscow of showing a “pattern … of aggressive actions” against the wider transatlantic community.
“We want to live in a world where sovereignty, territorial integrity, human rights and international law are respected and where each country can choose its own path, free from aggression, coercion or subversion,” the organization claimed.
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While calling Russia the most significant and direct threat to itself, NATO said “authoritarian actors” in general were challenging its interests. In particular, China was criticized for allegedly using “its economic leverage to create strategic dependencies and enhance its influence.”
“The deepening strategic partnership between the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation and their mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut the rules-based international order run counter to our values and interests,” the document said.
NATO leaders called the bloc “unique, essential and indispensable” and pledged to work together to secure its technological edge and cohesion in the face of adversaries.
