NATO Reportedly Urges 5X Air Defense Boost in Europe Over Russia Threat

According to a Bloomberg report published on June 3, NATO has called on its European member states to significantly increase their ground-based air defense forces in anticipation of potential future threats from Russia.

Sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the Alliance has set an informal goal of increasing these air defense capacities fivefold across Europe. Individual targets will be tailored for each member state, though no specific timelines have been set.

The issue is expected to be discussed during the upcoming NATO defense ministers meeting in Brussels later this week.

A senior European military official, speaking anonymously, noted that there is a pressing need among NATO allies to expand ground-based air defense systems, which have seen significant reductions over the past three decades. The shift in NATO’s strategic focus from Cold War-era threats to challenges in the Middle East and North Africa contributed to this decline, the source added.

This initiative is part of a broader push to enhance NATO’s overall defense readiness and spending. Bloomberg reports that under growing pressure from former US President Donald Trump, the Alliance is expected to adopt a new spending benchmark of 5% of GDP—with 3.5% allocated directly to defense and another 1.5% toward related areas such as infrastructure, cyber defense, and civil protection.

Previously, it was reported that in a newly publicized document, Russia presented a proposed memorandum for a ceasefire in its ongoing war against Ukraine. The draft sets out a series of demands and a structured timeline for negotiations and implementation.

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