Talk to Al Jazeera

Ex-NATO chief Javier Solana on possible arms race in Europe: 'I'm very worried' | Talk To Al Jazeera


Listen Later

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin recently announced their intention to withdraw from an arms treaty that banned the two countries from developing short- and medium-range missiles capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads.
The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty was signed by the United States and the then-Soviet Union in 1987 and had helped ensure the end of the Cold War. It also helped address what was seen as a military imbalance between Europe and the Soviet Union, which had developed medium-range missiles that could reach Western European countries that did not have equivalent capabilities.
The US was the first to announce its intent to withdraw early February this year. In an official statement, the US secretary of state said that Russia had developed a missile system that violated the treaty, and had failed to return to compliance. Russia announced its withdrawal the following day.
Many analysts and leaders are concerned about the consequences, including the potential for a new arms race.
Javier Solana, the former secretary-general of NATO, who also served as an EU foreign policy chief, presided over the first joint meeting between Russia and NATO in 1997, manifesting the end of the Cold War era.
While the US's withdrawal came as part of ongoing discontent with Russia, Solana says was the move was concerning and should have only been used as a final measure.
"To react with, let me say, the heaviest reaction … is playing with the last cards. I don't think we should play with the last cards on nuclear matters. We have to discuss, debate, talk, until the very, very end," he says. "This tit-for-tat is for kids to play about other things but not for really important politicians playing about serious things ... It's very risky what they do."
The INF dispute comes in the middle of political tension between President Trump and some European leaders. In November 2018, French President Emmanuel Macron - followed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel - said it was time for Europe to create its own army, implying American military support could no longer be taken for granted.
While Solana does not think that the EU will collectively go to war, he agrees that the EU needs military capabilities to be able to defend itself.
"I see very clearly that we have to be much more interoperable and much more integrated [in] our capabilities. And we have the possibility of acting in a strategic manner alone."
Solana worries that the demise of the INF treaty will worsen global security as nuclear issues resurface and agreements reopen - a trend that will bring politics into unchartered territory.
"I'm worried, to tell you the truth, very worried ... We have big public goods that have to be respected and provided," he says. "But … nuclear weapons, climate change, poverty, other issues ... we cannot make a mistake in the way we approach them."
"There are things that we should not touch."
- Subscribe to our channel: http://aje.io/AJSubscribe
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish
- Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera
- Check our website: https://www.aljazeera.com/
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Talk to Al JazeeraBy Al Jazeera

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

7 ratings


More shows like Talk to Al Jazeera

View all
The Truth of the Matter by CSIS | Center for Strategic and International Studies

The Truth of the Matter

282 Listeners

Focus on Africa by BBC World Service

Focus on Africa

372 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,080 Listeners

The Listening Post by Al Jazeera

The Listening Post

41 Listeners

The China in Africa Podcast by The China-Global South Project

The China in Africa Podcast

207 Listeners

The Interview by BBC World Service

The Interview

362 Listeners

The Intercept Briefing by The Intercept

The Intercept Briefing

6,118 Listeners

EU Confidential by POLITICO

EU Confidential

101 Listeners

Closer Than They Appear by Al Jazeera

Closer Than They Appear

619 Listeners

Game of Our Lives by Al Jazeera

Game of Our Lives

257 Listeners

Al Jazeera News Updates by Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera News Updates

254 Listeners

The Take by Al Jazeera

The Take

483 Listeners

The Intelligence from The Economist by The Economist

The Intelligence from The Economist

2,540 Listeners

Al Jazeera Investigates by Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera Investigates

102 Listeners

The Owen Jones Podcast by Owen Jones

The Owen Jones Podcast

163 Listeners

The Inside Story Podcast by Al Jazeera

The Inside Story Podcast

128 Listeners

Centre Stage by Al Jazeera Media Network

Centre Stage

0 Listeners

Makdisi Street by Makdisi Bros.

Makdisi Street

459 Listeners

Necessary Tomorrows by Al Jazeera Media Network

Necessary Tomorrows

13 Listeners

Unshocked with Naomi Klein by Zeteo

Unshocked with Naomi Klein

51 Listeners

Now You Know by Al Jazeera

Now You Know

7 Listeners