The year was 1980, and the 21-year-old son of Norwegian Defense Minister Thorvald Stoltenberg accompanied his dad on a trip to the United States. The talk of the town, according to the son, centered on concern over the U.S. distancing itself from Europe. Decades later, the same fear permeates political discussions. But the Defense Minister’s son, Jens, says the U.S.-Europe relationship is the strongest in the world; and he would know, since he now leads the 28-nation North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as its Secretary General.
Jens Stoltenberg is making his rounds in Washington this week, during a critical time for the transatlantic partnership. At a bilateral meeting with Stoltenberg on Monday, President Barack Obama said, “NATO continues to be the linchpin, the cornerstone of our collective defense and U.S. security policy.” The Pentagon recently announced that constant rotations of an additional armored brigade of approximately 4,200 troops will begin in eastern Europe in 2017.
Stoltenberg wants to continue strengthening NATO presence in Europe’s east, in an effort to thwart Russian attempts at creating what Nigel Inkster, the former Deputy Chief of the British intelligence agency MI6, calls a “buffer zone” on its periphery. This will top the agenda for NATO heads of state when they meet at the NATO summit in Warsaw this July, says Stoltenberg. Also on the agenda: instability in the Middle East and Africa, NATO efforts in Afghanistan, Montenegro’s accession to NATO, increasing the credibility of nuclear deterrence, and enhancing resilience against cyber warfare.
Focus on training
“A few months can mean the difference between a fragile state and a failing state,” according to Stoltenberg. That is why training local forces matters, and that is why Stoltenberg views training as one of NATO’s primary responsibilities. NATO is hard at work in Afghanistan training the Afghan national security forces, albeit with mixed results. NATO allies will decide whether to retreat, remain, or rework involvement in Afghanistan by the time this year’s NATO summit rolls around. Stoltenberg assures that no matter what the allies decide regarding forces, NATO will continue to provide funds to Afghanistan.
When it comes to Iraq, Stoltenberg believes NATO must increase support for local training. A stable Iraq is critical to the stability of the entire region and is a key player in the battle against the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL). Recently, NATO worked with the Global Coalition to Counter ISIL – a group composed of 66 coalition partners, including the U.S. – to begin training Iraq’s national security forces at the King Abdullah Special Operations Training Centre in Jordan. Stoltenberg wants to use NATO’s expertise in areas like IED-countering to bolster the local Iraqi troops.
Stoltenberg expressed interest in conducting training exercises with the Jordanian forces as well and noted that NATO will soon begin advising Tunisia on counterterrorism. “Prevention is better than intervention. That is the Golden Rule,” he said. More than once, Stoltenberg indicated that NATO stands by ready to assist in Libya, a country the alliance was heavily involved in following the Qadhafi regime’s targeting of civilians during protests in early 2011. He also mentioned the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and alluded to NATO’s ability to help the six-nation bloc of Arab states build up an international military structure.
Coalition against ISIS
It comes as no surprise that Stoltenberg affirmed NATO’s support of the international coalition against ISIS. Yet he stopped short of saying that NATO would formally take part. When asked by a delegate of the Syrian opposition group whether he would support a Saudi Arabia-led Islamic coalition against ISIS, Stoltenberg replied with an unequivocal “yes” to moral support and a strong “no” to any kind of military assistance to Syria. Stoltenberg did mention the possibility of AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) support. The Boeing E-3 Sentry fleet would assist with surveillance.
Stoltenberg made clear that while NATO will not officially send ground forces into Syria, NATO some members – like the U.S. – are unilaterally providing their own forces to defeat ISIS and stabilize the country. The interoperability between NATO members that has developed over years of joint exercises and missions is extremely beneficial for the coalition in Syria, noted Stoltenberg.
When pressed on NATO’s relationship with Turkey and Turkish involvement in the fight against ISIS, Stoltenberg asserted that without Turkish participation, the battle would be much more difficult. He then praised the Kurdish Peshmerga forces for their “important role” in the fight and pointed out that many NATO countries are providing support to the Peshmerga.
Stoltenberg did not comment on the complicated relationship between Turkey, its local Kurdish population, and the Iraqi Kurds. Turkey does not want Kurdish insurgents, like members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), to create an independent Kurdistan within its borders. It looks more favorably on the Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, who are not aligned with the PKK. Turkey, the U.S., and the EU classify the PKK as a terrorist organization.
Relations with Russia
Stoltenberg’s views on Russia and President Vladimir Putin can be summed up in one phrase: “Dialogue is not weakness. Dialogue is strength.” This was Stoltenberg’s response to a question about the current status of the NATO-Russia Council (NRC). Heightened Russian aggression is concerning, said Stoltenberg, and its attempt to create a sphere of influence around its borders violates international law and disrespects sovereignty. At the same time, “We don’t see any imminent threat [from Russia] against any NATO ally country,” said Stoltenberg. Engagement is key to avoid a reversion to Cold War politics.
Anyone attending the talk with Stoltenberg would have likely left feeling that NATO is neither as obsolete nor as expensive as U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump may make it seem. While it is true that the U.S. is a disproportionately large financial contributor to the alliance, Stoltenberg says the Europeans understand this and have taken steps to increase their defense budgets (with a goal of meeting NATO’s two percent target). But it’s not just the Europeans who need the U.S. “A safer and stronger Europe means a safer and stronger United States,” remarked Stoltenberg. Stability in eastern Europe, Afghanistan, Iraq – places where NATO presence is strong – means greater security for the U.S.
Kaitlin Lavinder is an International Producer with The Cipher Brief.