NATO to accelerate acquisition of key weapons at Washington summit

NATO allies are expected to commit to accelerating the acquisition of key weapons at a summit in Washington DC next week as the alliance seeks to close critical gaps in its military preparedness in the face of Russian aggression, three European officials told Semafor.

A five-year plan proposed by NATO's three Baltic states would see the alliance step up efforts to acquire long-range missiles and other weapons systems that have proven crucial on the battlefield in Ukraine and could be used in the event of a full-scale conflict.

As Russia has rebuilt its military much faster than expected, “our proposal is to focus in the next five years on air defense, long-range fire and ammunition,” Tuuli Duneton, undersecretary for defense policy at the Estonian Defense Ministry, told Semafor.

The plan has received support from key member states, with a US State Department official telling Semafor that Washington “supports the intent of the proposal and is working with allies on how to incorporate it into the summit outcomes.”

This proposal is inspired by the Allied Capability Delivery Commitment, presented by the Baltic States to reduce deficits in key equipment in NATO regional defence plans.

A Latvian spokesperson told Semafor that the ideas in the proposal will be “integrated” into the defense industrial commitment that the allies are expected to sign at the summit.