The Government of Javier Milei continues to show signs of a strong alignment with NATO, the political-military organization led by the United States. According to sources close to the Casa Rosada, the libertarian is considering requesting Argentina’s entry into this select group, thus changing the political-military stance that the country has had in recent decades.
NATO is a international military alliance created during the Cold War in the face of the Soviet threat which is governed by the North Atlantic Treaty signed on April 4, 1949. With the end of the USSR, NATO was extended to the borders of Russia.
The organization constitutes a collective defense system, in which the member states agreed to defend any of its members be attacked by an external power.
Argentina has been an extra-NATO ally since 1998 when Bill Clinton gave the green light to Carlos Menem’s initiative. The same status applies to Brazil and Colombia, but what Milei is seeking is to be part of the bloc as a full partner, something that Bolsonaro also tried but without success.
Sources close to the Ministry of Defense confirmed that Luis Petri goes to NATO headquarters this week to present the letter of intent to enter as a global partner of the organization. The step prior to that is that of applicant and the Individual Association Action Plan (IPAP) process must begin, carried out by countries that have the political will and sufficient capacity to have a greater relationship with the alliance.
Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Bosnia and Serbia are the countries that have started the process. Finland and Sweden completed membership this year following the escalation of the war in Ukraine.
This source maintains that “the entire line of foreign policy is being set by defense. They are going to leave commitments with very high exit costs.” “They also want to add us to the combined maritime forces, a naval fleet led by the US. The package comes complete,” he adds.
Milei has been clear with his two main allies: the United States and Israel and did not hesitate to abandon neutrality and support Ukraine in the war with Russia or expressing the desire to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
In any case, an eventual entry would take a long time to become effective, but if it did, it would clash with Milei’s will to send weapons or troops to Ukraine to fight with Russia. Without a NATO member doing that, all member countries would have to go to war, something the organization and especially the United States are avoiding.
With information from Online Politics
