| Author (Corporate) | United Kingdom: House of Commons: Defence Committee |
|---|---|
| Publisher | The Stationery Office (TSO) |
| Series Title | 3rd Report |
| Series Details | (2014-15) HC358 |
| Publication Date | July 2014 |
| Content Type | Policy-making, Report |
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The Defence Committee of the UK House of Commons Defence Committee published a Report 'Towards the Next Defence and Security Review: Part Two - NATO' on the 31 July 2014. The Committee argued that the 2013-2014 events in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine should be a wake-up call for NATO and the UK. It argued that NATO was not well prepared to face the new threat posed by Russia. NATO had serious deficiencies in its command and control structures, in its ability to predict and give adequate warning of potential attack, and in the readiness of its forces. NATO might not have the collective political will to take concerted action to deter attack. NATO needed to reorder, train and exercise its capabilities to be able to defend against both eventualities. The Committee called on the UK Government to take the lead at the NATO Summit in Wales in September 2014 to ensure that NATO was ready to face such threats. Subsequently, the BBC and other sources reported comments from UK Prime Minister David Cameron in a letter to other NATO leaders. He said that Nato needed to rethink its long-term relationship with Russia, which viewed the alliance as 'an adversary' He said there had to be a 'robust presence' in eastern Europe because of Russia's 'illegal' actions in Ukraine. A new YouGov survey published on the 2 August 2014 revealed the majority of British people supported in principle the United Kingdom’s commitment to defend its NATO allies. Article 5 of the NATO treaty required partners to treat an attack on one NATO ally as an attack on all. EUObserver reported on the 4 August 2014 that Nato chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said that the NATO will strengthen military exercises and prepare new defence plans. |
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| Source Link | http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201415/cmselect/cmdfence/358/358.pdf |
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| Subject Categories | Security and Defence |
| Countries / Regions | Europe, United Kingdom |
