NATO should support Ukraine and simultaneously bolster its own defense - Bauer

The Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, said this in his opening remarks at the NATO Military Committee Conference in Prague, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The NATO Military Authorities have two herculean tasks that they need to undertake simultaneously. While continuing and ramping up our support to Ukraine, we must also bolster our own deterrence and defense. […] Allies are rapidly developing and expanding their capabilities. But our work is far from done. And we cannot do it alone. The responsibility for freedom does not lie on the shoulders of those in uniform alone. In order to succeed, we need a much larger defence industry production capacity. Because while it might be the military that wins battles, it's the economy that wins wars," Bauer said.

According to him, NATO now has 500,000 troops on high readiness, and the Allied Reaction Force was created. "The more we coordinate our defense production, the more we ramp up our deterrence," Bauer said.

The admiral stressed that economic collaboration was a key factor of the Washington Treaty that was signed 75 years ago. And while Article 5 often captures the spotlight, Article 2 is equally significant, because in the liberal economies, the bulk of the power lies with "the market."

According to Bauer, it is necessary to realize that the prosperity of a democratic society is based on the security provided by NATO.

"This security is easily taken for granted. But security is just like oxygen. You forget that it's there… until it isn't. Ukraine lost 40 percent of its GDP on the first day of the war. Every night they go to bed, Ukrainian CEOs have to wonder whether their factory will still be there in the morning. CEOs in Allied territory don't worry about that. They worry about value, not values. But if the short-term commercial interest always wins out over the long-term collective interest, then we end up knocking away the foundation upon which our 'way of life' is built," he said.

He stressed the need to remove bureaucratic barriers in the defense procurement system and strengthen cooperation between NATO governments and the private sector to increase defense production.

The admiral recalled that NATO Allies represent 50 percent of the world’s economic power and 50 percent of the world’s military power.

"We have it within ourselves to strengthen the strongest Alliance in the world and at the same time bolster Ukraine’s defenses. We can and we must achieve this. Because autocratic leaders around the world are watching closely to see how the war in Ukraine unfolds. They are aiding where they can. Seeking to create division and to destroy democracy abroad… in order to retain autocracy at home. […] But there is no stronger weapon in the world… than our unity. Together we will prove that democracy will triumph over tyranny. That freedom will triumph over oppression. And that light will triumph over darkness," Bauer said.