NATO PA Promotes Investment in Collective Defence, Infrastructure Protection

Vilnius – The NATO Parliamentary Assembly on Sunday highlighted legislators’ vital role in ensuring the Atlantic Alliance faces up to pressing security challenges, strengthening collective defence and protecting against hybrid threats.

The Assembly’s Spring Session drew over 230 lawmakers from NATO and partner nations. Discussions on the second day focused on issues ranging from safeguarding critical infrastructure, maintaining military force levels and fast-tracking defence innovation 

“The war in Ukraine is driving new thinking about modern warfare,” explained US Congressman Rick Larsen. “Innovating quickly is important but integrating and scaling new technologies is just as essential. 

Drawing on Ukraine’s experience of fast-paced wartime innovation, Larsen said NATO must work urgently to overcome years of underinvestment, insufficient and fragmented demand, slow procurement and overly bureaucratic acquisition systems.

“That’s where we come in,” he told fellow parliamentarians. “We control the budgets. We conduct oversight. We can demand answers when promising technologies stall. We can push governments to integrate NATO commitments into national legislation and procurement systems that work.”

A presentation by Greek member Spyridon Kyriakis centred on shaping NATO’s future forces by improved recruitment, retention of experienced military personnel and strengthening the will to fight within Allied societies. 

Faced with an aggressive, expansionist Russia on its doorstep, NATO must take steps to meet recruitment targets and ensure personnel stay in uniform longer, particularly those with critical skills such as cyber, intelligence, logistics and special operations.   

“We need a sweeping renewed conversation on how we value, support and inspire our forces,” Kyriakis told the Assembly. 

New NATO defence plans, bigger budgets and arms acquisition “can only deliver real deterrence if the Alliance has the well-trained, highly motivated men and women needed to operate and sustain them,” he added.

Lawmakers debated the costs and benefits of conscription and emphasised the importance of building on Ukraine’s experience to build public support and societal resilience to shape mobilisation capacity and wartime outcomes.

“As parliamentarians ... we hold the levers of oversight, the power of legislation and the loudest microphones to champion the profound value of military service to our citizens,” Kyriakis concluded. 

Ahead of July’s summit of NATO leaders in Ankara, lawmakers highlighted the role of parliaments in ensuring that Allies stick to the goal of spending at least 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence and security. 

“There is still much to be done to bring defence spending to 5% of GDP and transfer that money into actual operational deterrence and defence capabilities,” said Dutch Senator Bart Kroon. “Sustaining that level of spending and transformation will require trade-offs and smart policymaking.”

NATO PA speakers underscored the need to protect critical infrastructure, such as undersea and space assets, from the mounting risk of hybrid attacks. 

“Allied security is increasingly dependent upon our space systems and undersea infrastructure,” stated US Congressman Mike Turner. “They are core components of our defence posture and our economic resilience; and are under growing pressure from our adversaries.”

Turner and British Member Lord Nigel Dodds made presentations urging better monitoring and attribution of threats to infrastructure, faster repair and replacement options and solutions that allow forces to operate when communications are degraded by adversaries. Cooperation with the private sector is essential. 

“Parliaments and we, as parliamentarians, have an important role to play,” said Dodds. “We can help ensure that national legal frameworks are fit for purpose. We can scrutinise whether governments have clear lead authorities and effective coordination structures. We can support dedicated funding for protection, repair, and response; and we can help keep political attention on this issue before a major disruption occurs.”

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Photos © NATO PA / © Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas