James Sunderland seeks assurance that political resolve in NATO will remain strong even if the war in Ukraine becomes protracted and attritional and asks what is being done to ensure that all NATO countries pay their 2% share of defence spending.
James Sunderland (Bracknell) (Con)
Will the Minister assure the House that political resolve in NATO will remain as strong as ever in the event that this campaign becomes enduring, protracted and attritional? Will he also assure the House about what is being done to ensure that all NATO countries step up and pay their 2%?
The Minister for Armed Forces (James Heappey)
NATO’s resolve is clear but its part in this is to deter escalation beyond Ukraine, whereas the donor community that has formed around Ukraine is a rather separate entity that extends beyond NATO’s borders; that is an important distinction. My hon. Friend is absolutely right that as we prepare for a summit in Washington at which our American colleagues will want to see progress in meeting the NATO commitment, all NATO countries that are not meeting the 2% commitment will perhaps want to consider their spending plans before getting on the plane to Washington.