European-wide defense is based on two elements: the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union. Understanding how each institution may develop in the coming years and coordinate together on defense is vital to assessing the future of European and transatlantic security. The Cipher Brief spoke with the United Kingdom’s defense attaché to the United States, Major General Richard Cripwell, about how he sees the future of European defense.
The Cipher Brief: Europe faces an increasing threat from ISIS-inspired terror and looks to be the next target for Russian cyber hacking, given the Continent’s array of elections this year. Is this an accurate assessment? Is Europe prepared?
Major General Richard Cripwell: Today’s threats to our security are many and varied. The impact of international terrorism, including Daesh-inspired terror, is felt by all, and these challenges require collective responses. We can’t afford to rest until they are defeated. NATO is the cornerstone of Euro-Atlantic security because we are stronger together. NATO has the mandate, the operational experience, and the tools needed to add genuine value to the wider international effort to defeat terrorism in the Middle East and North Africa.
Russia is clearly testing NATO and the West. Cyber weaponry is one way that they have tried to disrupt critical infrastructure and disable democratic machinery in Europe. Russia is seeking to expand its sphere of influence, destabilize countries, undermine the rules-based system, and weaken the alliance. Therefore, it is in our interest and Europe’s to keep NATO strong and to deter and dissuade Russia from this course. We must be clear-eyed in exposing its actions and calling on all NATO members to recommit to strengthening our collective defense.
Cyber defense is now part of NATO’s core task. NATO must defend itself as effectively in the cyber sphere as it does in the air, on land, and at sea so adversaries know there is a price to pay if they use cyber weapons. And alliance members are strengthening their capability, collectively and individually, to resist any form of attack. The UK is playing its part by almost doubling our investment on defensive and offensive cyber capability to $2.4 billion.
TCB: With Britain leaving the EU, the new U.S. Administration, and the growing popularity of anti-Europe parties across the continent, the future of NATO is unclear. How do you see NATO changing over the coming years? What will be the UK’s role in NATO?
RC: NATO remains important for the collective defense and security of all allies. We share the vision with allies, like the U.S., of a NATO equipped to protect our citizens and defend the Euro-Atlantic area, to deter Russia, to support the international effort to defeat terrorism, and to project stability beyond our borders, based on unity of purpose, stronger partnerships, and modern capabilities. To achieve this vision, NATO needs to continue to reform to meet 21st century challenges and deliver an alliance capable of planning for and responding to all the threats the Euro-Atlantic region faces. And if NATO is to remain relevant and credible, Allies must do all they can to underpin a strong alliance. NATO needs to be adaptable and responsive to the changing environment. We must therefore strive for an alliance that is less bureaucratic, better at prioritizing, and more capable of taking difficult decisions quickly.
In the UK, we are clear that NATO is the bedrock of our collective security. When we hosted the NATO Summit in Wales in 2014, we pledged to continue spending 2 percent of our income on defense, including with the creation of the Wales Defence Investment Pledge, and have been leading the way and will continue to encourage partners to do the same. We’re playing a full part in NATO deterrence measures in Eastern Europe, deploying troops to Estonia and Poland in the spring. We are working closely with the U.S. on their enhanced Forward Presence Battalion in Poland, for which the UK will provide a reconnaissance squadron.
TCB: Is NATO “obsolete” – that is, could another defensive structure defend Europe better in the future?
RC: No. We are clear on the importance of NATO. It has formed the bedrock of collective security in Europe for years, and we remain committed to NATO and our partners. It is in our interest to keep NATO strong, so we must call on all NATO members to recommit to strengthening our collective defense. President Trump is right to challenge NATO to raise its game. When British Prime Minister Theresa May visited the White House last month, President Trump said he was 100 percent behind NATO. But Europe needs to show that it backs NATO too. That means all members – not just five – need to meet the 2 percent commitment. Currently 19 of the 28 EU member states don’t spend even 1.5 percent of GDP on defense.
TCB: What are your thoughts on developing the European pillar in NATO – is now the time?
RC: We have always been clear that we are committed to European security and to structures that complement rather than duplicate NATO. NATO has formed the bedrock of collective security in Europe for years and we remain committed to that and to our partners.
TCB: Beyond terror, Russia, and cyber, what are other major threats to Europe that we should be watching in the coming years?
RC: No two nations are alike, but the impact of Russian belligerence, international terrorism, and illegal migration is felt by all Euro-Atlantic nations and these challenges require collective responses.
TCB: The tone among some at the Munich Security Conference this month was that the U.S. and Europe work well together because of shared values, and those values are being challenged by the new U.S. administration. Do you agree, and what does this mean for European security in the coming years, that is, will Europe rely less and less on the U.S. for defense?
RC: We were delighted that UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson and UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon had such productive first meetings with their U.S. counterparts this month. U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis repeated the United States’ 100 percent commitment to NATO, and we have no doubt about their continued commitment. The U.S. has asked other NATO members to meet the recommended 2 percent GDP contribution to defense that the UK already fulfills, which we support.
