Policy Brief from NATO Defence Ministers' Meeting June 2020

NATO DEFENCE
MINISTERS’ MEETING,
17-18 JUNE 2020
Policy Brief
110 SPE 20 E | Original: English | 18 June 2020
This Policy Brief is presented for information only and does not
represent the official view of the Assembly.
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I. DETERRENCE AND DEFENCE, INCL. THE RESPONSE TO RUSSIA’S NEW MISSILES
DECISIONS
• Ministers agreed on:
o a balanced package of political and military elements in response to Russia’s growing suite
of nuclear capable missiles, notably by:
▪ strengthening NATO Integrated Air and Missile Defence;
▪ the acquisition of new air and missile defence systems by some Allies;
▪ investments into advanced conventional capabilities, incl. 5th generation fighter aircraft;
▪ adaptation of intelligence processes;
▪ adaptation of exercises; and
▪ additional steps to maintain a safe, secure, and effective NATO nuclear deterrent.
BACKGROUND
• Russia’s growing arsenal of nuclear-capable missiles and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric have
security implications for the Alliance.
• Russia deployed SSC-8 missiles, which led to the demise of the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF)
Treaty. These missiles are dual-capable, mobile, and hard to detect; can reach European cities with
little warning; and lower the nuclear threshold.
• Russia modernises its intercontinental ballistic missiles; deployed the first Avangard hypersonic
glide vehicles; tested the Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile system; and develops the
SSC-X-9-Skyfall nuclear-powered cruise missile.
NATO DEFENCE MINISTERS’ MEETING, 17-18 JUNE 2020:
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Agenda
• Deterrence and defence, incl. the response to Russia’s new missiles
• NATO missions and operations, esp. Afghanistan and Iraq
• Preparations for a possible second COVID-19 wave
• Update of guidelines for national resilience
Decisions on
• A balanced political and military package in response to Russia’s growing nuclear capabilities
• COVID-19 response: a) new operational plan, b) stockpile of medical equipment, and c) fund
for the acquisition of critical medical supplies and services
• Updated baseline requirements for national resilience
Other discussion themes
• China’s rise and the need for Beijing to engage in arms control
• Reflection Process on NATO 2030
• Announced US troop reduction in Germany
• The situation in Libya
Partner Participation
• Australia (for the first time), Finland, and Sweden
• EU High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell Fontelles
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ADDITIONAL NOTES
• NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg made clear that “We will maintain our deterrence and defence
but we will not mirror Russia. We have no intention to deploy new land-based nuclear missiles
in Europe.” Moreover, “A new arms race would benefit nobody.”
• Ministers also met in the Nuclear Planning Group (which includes all Allies regardless of their nuclear
status – except for France upon its own wishes). The NATO Secretary General stressed that “NATO’s
nuclear sharing arrangements have served us well for decades. Allowing us to forge common
ground on nuclear issues. The NATO nuclear deterrent in Europe remains vital for peace and freedom
in Europe.”
• Ministers also discussed effective arms control, disarmament, and non-proliferation, to which
NATO remains strongly committed. The United States is keeping Allies informed of US-Russia
discussions on extending new START. Allies also urge China to engage in arms control (see below).
II. NATO PREPARATIONS FOR A POSSIBLE SECOND COVID-19 WAVE
DECISIONS
• Ministers agreed on:
o a new operational plan for a COVID-19 second wave;
o a stockpile of medical equipment for immediate assistance to Allies and partners; and
o a fund for the acquisition of critical medical supplies and services.
BACKGROUND
• Since the beginning, NATO and Allied armed forces have played a key role in supporting civilian efforts
o With some 350 flights airlifting hundreds of tons of critical supplies around the world;
o Almost 100 field hospitals;
o And more than half a million of troops have supported the civilian response.
• Allies are now preparing for future health crises.
• For more information and concrete examples of bilateral and NATO assistance to Allies, see the NATO
factsheet NATO’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
ADDITIONAL NOTES
• In a sign of Allied unity and solidarity, many Allies already offered to donate medical equipment to
the stockpile and to contribute to the acquisition fund.
• Allies remain committed to help each other and partners and to work together with other
international actors, notably the European Union
III. UPDATE OF NATIONAL RESILIENCE GUIDELINES
DECISIONS
• Ministers agreed on:
o updated baseline requirements for national resilience (see below) to better account for
▪ cyber threats;
▪ risks to security of supply chains, and
▪ negative consequences of foreign ownership and control.
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BACKGROUND
ADDITIONAL NOTES
• Asked about discussions on 5G, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg stated: “resilience, the
protection of our infrastructure, the concerns about foreign ownership and foreign control, is on the
NATO agenda” […] We don’t mention specific countries or specific companies, but when we now
recently updated one of the other baseline requirements on telecommunications, we were very specific
about what kind of concerns, what kind of threats Allies should take into account, analyse and make
risk assessments about before they make decisions on, for instance, 5G.”
IV. NATO MISSIONS AND OPERATIONS, ESP. AFGHANISTAN AND IRAQ
DISCUSSIONS
• Ministers discussed NATO missions and operations, notably in Afghanistan and Iraq, which have
received COVID-19 assistance after requests made through NATO.
• Afghanistan:
o Ministers reiterated a strong commitment to Afghanistan’s long-term security, which is vital
for progress in the peace process.
o Allies are adjusting their presence in Afghanistan and will consider further adjustments in
close coordination among Allies.
o The NATO Secretary General underlined that “The Taliban have to live up to their commitments
[reduce violence and break all bonds with Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups], take part in intra-
Afghan negotiations and make real compromises for lasting peace.”
• Iraq:
o NATO and the Allies remain committed to working with Iraq in the fight against international
terrorism, incl. to ensure Daesh does not return.
o Ministers reiterated their commitment to stepping up their efforts in full consultation with the
Iraqi government and the Global Coalition.
THE SEVEN BASELINE REQUIREMENTS FOR CIVIL PREPAREDNESS
1. Assured continuity of government and critical government services: for instance the ability to make decisions,
communicate them and enforce them in a crisis;
2. Resilient energy supplies: back-up plans and power grids, internally and across borders;
3. Ability to deal effectively with uncontrolled movement of people, and to de-conflict these movements from NATO’s
military deployments;
4. Resilient food and water resources: ensuring these supplies are safe from disruption or sabotage;
5. Ability to deal with mass casualties: ensuring that civilian health systems can cope and that sufficient medical supplies
are stocked and secure;
6. Resilient civil communications systems: ensuring that telecommunications and cyber networks function even under crisis
conditions, with sufficient back-up capacity.
(This requirement was updated in November 2019 by NATO Defence Ministers, who stressed the need for reliable
communications systems including 5G, robust options to restore these systems, priority access to national authorities in
times of crisis, and the thorough assessments of all risks to communications systems.); and
7. Resilient transport systems: ensuring that NATO forces can move across Alliance territory rapidly and that civilian services
can rely on transportation networks, even in a crisis.
(agreed by Allied Heads of State and Government at the Warsaw Summit in 2016)
For more information on these, see NATO’s dedicated webpage: Resilience and Article 3
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V. OTHER DISCUSSION THEMES
• China’s rise and the need for Beijing to engage in arms control
o Ministers discussed China’s developing military capabilities and the need for China to
engage in arms control.
o Allies expressed concern about China’s heavy investments in new, modern military
capabilities, including new nuclear warheads and new delivery systems on land, at sea, in the
air. For instance, according to the NATO Secretary General, over the last five years China has
added 80 more ships and submarines to their navy – equivalent to the total amount of ships and
submarines in the navy of the United Kingdom.
o NATO’s growing attention to China is not about “moving into the South China Sea, but about the
fact that China’s coming closer to us. We see them in the Arctic. We see them in Africa. We
see them investing heavily in infrastructure in our own countries. And, of course, we see them
also in cyberspace.”
o NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg argued “As a major military power, China also has major
responsibilities. So as a rising global power, it is high time for China to participate in global
arms control.”
o NATO’s approach to China will be one of the themes in the reflection process.
• The NATO Secretary General’s Reflection Process on NATO 2030
o The NATO Secretary General updated the Ministers on his reflection process on NATO 2030,
which he had launched the previous week. (For more on this, see the Secretary General’s speech
here)
o He stressed that NATO 2030 was “about keeping our Alliance strong militarily, making it
stronger politically, and more global.”
o Among the themes explicitly mentioned by the NATO Secretary General for the reflection process
are China and the need to strengthen NATO’s increasingly global partnerships.
• Announced US troop reduction in Germany
o Ministers discussed the issue during the meeting.
o No final US government decision on manner and timeline of implementation.
o During a phone call with the US President, the NATO Secretary General’s main message on the
US presence in Europe was “it’s good for Europe, but it’s also good for North America and
the United States, because the transatlantic bond is essential to the strength and the success of
the Alliance.”
o The NATO Secretary General stressed that “over the last years is actually that the United States
has increased their presence throughout Europe and also in other countries, including in the
Baltic countries, in Poland, in the Black Sea Region. We have more US exercises”.
o The NATO Secretary General welcomed the clarity of US Secretary of Defence on the US
commitment and consultations with Allies on the way forward.
o On burden sharing, the NATO Secretary General noted that Allied defence budgets had
increased by 130 billion USD since 2016. But there was still a way to go to reach the 2% GDP
target.
o The NATO Secretary General noted a dialogue was ongoing within NATO.
• The situation in Libya
o Libya was not on the agenda, but several Allies raised the issue, due to the security
implications for the Alliance.
o NATO strongly supports the UN-led efforts in Libya and the Berlin Process. It is also concerned
about Russia’s growing presence.
o Asked about the incident involving a French navy vessel engaged in NATO’s Operation Sea
Guardian and a Turkish navy vessel, the Secretary General confirmed that NATO military
authorities were investigating the incident to clarify what happened. He also reaffirmed that
“NATO, of course, supports the implementation of UN decisions, including UN arms embargoes.”
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o Asked about possible NATO support to EU operation Irini – which aims to enforce the UN arms
embargo in Libya, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg mentioned that talks and contacts were
ongoing but no decision was taken.


North Atlantic Treaty Organization
www.nato.int/factsheets Factsheet
NATO’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented challenge. NATO Allies stand in solidarity in response to the pandemic. “NATO and
Allied military personnel have been key in supporting civilian efforts – setting up field hospitals, providing military airlift, sharing
medical expertise, and helping to develop innovative responses,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said about the Alliance’s
role in the relief effort.
While we continue to take all the necessary measures to protect our armed forces, NATO’s operational readiness remains undiminished.
Our forces remain vigilant and prepared to respond to any threat. During the COVID-19 pandemic, NATO continues to deliver
credible and effective deterrence and defence.
Preparing for the future of COVID-19
NATO Foreign and Defense Ministers recognised the need to do even more to
prepare for a resurgence of the disease at their meetings in April 2020. Defence
Ministers will continue to assess NATO’s response when they meet again in
June. NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) is developing
a plan for how we can further speed up the way we provide support, to prepare
for the future of the virus.
NATO is supporting innovation through research and scientific collaboration
on COVID-19. For example, NATO has tapped into its pool of 6,000 defence
scientists, calling for ideas to improve virus detection and decontamination.
Through the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme, Italian and
Swiss scientists are collaborating on a NATO-supported project to develop
rapid COVID-19 diagnostics.
As part of a coordinated approach, NATO is working closely with other
international organisations, including the European Union. Allied Defence
Ministers discussed together with the EU preparations for the long-term effects
of COVID-19.
How NATO is helping to curb the pandemic
Hundreds of thousands of troops have been supporting civilian efforts across the Alliance. SACEUR is coordinating current military
support and a plan to make even more capabilities available. Military forces from across the Alliance have:
• flown more than 350 flights to transport medical personnel and more than 1,000 tonnes of equipment,
• helped build almost 100 field hospitals and over 25,000 treatment beds, and
• deployed thousands of medical personnel in support of civilian efforts.
NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC)
is helping to coordinate assistance, including medical and financial support.
The EADRCC is NATO’s main civil emergency response mechanism. The
Centre operates on a 24/7 basis, coordinating requests and offers of assistance.
Since the start of the crisis, the EADRCC has coordinated requests from UN
OCHA and 15 NATO and partner countries, garnering dozens of responses
in return.
The Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) and the Strategic Airlift International
Solution (SALIS) programmes, managed by the NATO Support and
Procurement Agency (NSPA), have delivered over 1,000 tonnes of medical
supplies to Allies including Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary,
Poland, Romania and Slovakia.
May 2020
A C-17 military plane, part of the Strategic Airlift Capability,
delivered medical supplies to Bulgaria on 17 April 2020.
NATO launched a Science for Peace and Security Programme project
on 5 May 2020 with Italy’s Istituto Superiore di Sanità (National
Health Institute) and Tor Vergata University Hospital together with
the University Hospital of Basel University in Switzerland to develop
new tools for a rapid and accurate diagnosis of infection.
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NATO also enables Allies to achieve economies of scale in purchasing and
transporting medical equipment. Logistics support provided by NSPA has
helped 12 NATO Nations to acquire key COVID-19 relief material, and
further shipments of medical supplies to Allies are ongoing. NSPA is also
driving innovative initiatives, producing and donating 3D printed supplies to
Italy to help with COVID-19 response.
NATO’s Rapid Air Mobility initiative has facilitated the delivery of medical
supplies and Personal Protective Equipment to and from several countries,
including the United Kingdom, Turkey, the United States and Italy. To deliver
aid to wherever it is needed quickly, SACEUR has managed through this
initiative – in close cooperation with EUROCONTROL – to reduce the time
it takes for flights to be cleared by air traffic control. To facilitate flight plans,
air traffic control now uses a dedicated NATO call sign for relief flights. This
step ensures faster travel time and was made possible through coordination
with EUROCONTROL.
The Movements Coordination Centre Europe (MCCE) provides coordination for the use of airlift, sealift and land movement assets.
Based in the Netherlands, the Centre is supporting NATO, the European Union and individual countries, by matching military
transport requests with available assets. Recent examples of cooperation include the coordination of two requests from Lithuania for
personal protective equipment. This Centre also provided support to Luxembourg, using a national freight contract with Cargolux to
generate two B747F cargo aircraft flights.
In addition to preventative measures taken at NATO installations around the globe, NATO and Allies are helping local authorities in
locations where we are deployed, including Afghanistan and Kosovo. For example, on 7 April the United States-led KFOR Regional
Command East delivered gloves, face masks and other medical supplies to the Mayors of Mitrovica North and South in Kosovo. In
April, KFOR also donated personal protective equipment to hospitals in Pristina and Gracanica and delivered more than 50 donations
of food and clothing to 14 Kosovo municipalities, in coordination with local charities and the Red Cross of Kosovo. In Afghanistan,
the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission facilitated the delivery of medical supplies and personal protective equipment to the Afghan
security forces in different provinces, including Panjshir, Parwan, Helmand, Nimroz and Nuristan. Critical assistance has also been
delivered to NATO’s newest members, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Montenegro received this support from the Netherlands,
Turkey and the United States; North Macedonia received assistance from the Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Slovenia and
Turkey. Furthermore, NATO and individual Allies and partners have coordinated deliveries of aid to other partners such as Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Colombia, Georgia, Iraq, the Republic of Moldova, Mongolia, Serbia and Ukraine.
More information: https://www.nato.int/covid19
Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre (EADRCC):
https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_117757.htm
NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA):
https://www.nspa.nato.int/en/index.htm
In March, NSPA helped Luxembourg to increase its hospital capacity
by providing field hospital tents, mobilising equipment in less than
24 hours. NSPA will also deliver a fully equipped hospital to Italy.