NATO's Stoltenberg says there is a need for more international groups

Secretary-General of North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Jens Stoltenberg On September 24 said in times of uncertainty, the need for an international organization grows even stronger. Stoltenberg also believes that global challenges should be addressed together. In New York, while some influential members of NATO, like the President of the United States, Donald Trump, prioritized national self-interest over globalism, the NATO Secretary-General believes the alliance should be more powerful. Stoltenberg also highlighted the restless world at risk of dividing into two groups of power, China and the US. 

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International alliance

Stoltenberg highlighted the benefits that the United States has achieved from the 70-year old military and political alliance, NATO. The secretary-general also believes that the strength of s nation is also measured by a number of friends it has, along with the size of its economy and the number of their soldiers. The defence spending of the NATO countries was decreased after the end of the Cold War. However, the members agreed to boost it again after Russia annexed Ukraine Crimean Peninsula in 2014.

Furthermore, NATO members took an affirmative to move ahead by spending 2 per cent of their gross domestic product on defence by the year, 2024. According to Stoltenberg, the allies will add $100 billion to their defence budgets since 2016. He confessed that the members would like a “higher pace” on defence. Moreover, Stoltenberg believes that national sovereignty and strong international institutions are two different things. 

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President Trump's remarks

The US already spends nearly 3.4 per cent of its GDP on defence and has called out other members for decreasing their expenditure on security. Donald Trump made certain remarks in the UN that reportedly spoke of his reoccurring complaints with the other 28 members of NATO. He said that the future does not belong to globalists and reiterated a call for allies to pay their share of the tremendous defence burden that the US has more in the past.

President Trump also believes that national independence is important and he visions globalism as a threat to the economy. He also said in his speech that if the countries want freedom, they have to take pride in your own country. 

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(With inputs from AP)