Spain, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of its membership, organized the NATO Summit in Madrid on June 29, 2022. The war in Ukraine caused a diplomatic ballet with the BRICS Summits on June 23 and the G7 on June 23. June 26, 2022.
Remember that NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) is a political and military alliance created on April 4, 1949. Until 1991, the designated adversary was the USSR in the context of the Cold War.
The counterpart of NATO was the Warsaw Pact, a military alliance grouping the USSR and the countries of Eastern Europe created on May 14, 1955, and dissolved on July 1, 1991 after the fall of the USSR. NATO, whose headquarters are in Brussels, is made up of 32 states after the admission of Finland and Sweden following the Madrid Summit.
It includes the United States and Canada, and almost all Western and Eastern European countries. Its main objective is the security and defense of member countries. Article 5 of the NATO treaty stipulates that any armed attack against one of its members will lead to a collective response from all the other members.
After the dissolution of the USSR, NATO was maintained and expanded its powers by intervening in local conflicts (ex-Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Mali), the fight against international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. From 1994 NATO entered into a partnership with non-member countries. Thus our country Morocco is one of twenty partner countries in the program to strengthen defense education initiated by NATO.
The Kingdom is described by NATO as a key strategic partner, and a privileged interlocutor of the Mediterranean Dialogue which aims to bring security and stability to the Sahel and North Africa. Every year, the Moroccan-American military maneuvers called “African Lion” take place.
The NATO Summit in Madrid was the subject of a very important Declaration in the context of the war in Ukraine. The Heads of State and Government of NATO member countries first reaffirmed the unity and solidarity of member countries, and recalled that NATO is a defensive Alliance and poses no threat to other States. They marked their attachment to article 5 of the Common Defense Treaty vis-à-vis external threats, as well as to the values of democracy, individual freedoms, individual rights and the rule of law.
The Declaration also highlighted NATO’s respect for international law and the Charter of the United Nations. It condemns in the strongest terms Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, which constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.
It deplores the suffering caused to the Ukrainian population by this war, which has led to millions of refugees and massive destruction of civilian buildings. It demands from Russia the opening of humanitarian corridors to deliver aid, and undertakes to bring those responsible for war crimes to justice. It also deplores the food and energy crisis following this war which affects billions of people in the world.
NATO reaffirms its unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and integrity. The NATO Summit also highlighted cyber, space and hybrid threats, due to the malicious use of new technologies.
In addition to Russia, the Declaration also cited China, which undermines NATO’s interests, its security and its values. NATO’s fundamental tasks are: deterrence and defence, crisis prevention and management, and cooperative security.
The Declaration reaffirms the maintenance by intensifying its political and military support for Ukraine. The Alliance has also undertaken to deploy more forces on the eastern front and to strengthen command and control systems. The partnership with the European Union, the Asia-Pacific region and the countries of the South will be developed in the future. The Declaration reaffirms NATO’s commitment to the Open Door Policy by welcoming Finland and Sweden.
In conclusion, the NATO Summit in Madrid reaffirmed its full support for Ukraine in the war with Russia concerning in particular its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
However, part of Ukraine (Donbass) is currently occupied by Russia, and NATO does not plan to intervene directly on Ukrainian soil, because of the risk of triggering a nuclear war. Also, the outcome of this war, valued today, can only be reached with a compromise with Russia, which is in the process of “Russifying” the territories conquered in Ukraine.
On the other hand, the NATO Summit clearly designated China as its adversary, which will push the latter to get closer to Russia. It is to be feared the return of the cold war between the Western camp and the China/Russia bloc.
One can also envisage in the face of this situation a new rise of the Non-Aligned Movement. Moreover, on June 30, the conference of the Parliamentary Network of the Non-Aligned Movement took place in Baku (Azerbaijan) on the theme “Strengthening the role of national parliaments in the promotion of peace and sustainable development”. This conference was attended by more than 40 countries and 9 international parliamentary organizations.
Written by Jawad Kerdoudi, President of theIMRI