Nato on Wednesday announced record sums being poured into Europe’s militaries as it seeks to persuade Donald Trump that the US's allies are not shirking their responsibilities.
A record 18 of 31 Nato allies will meet the key goal of spending 2 per cent of their economic might on defence this year, the alliance’s Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, up from six in 2014.
Europe’s 29 Nato members will collectively hit the target by spending $380 billion on their armed forces, he said, amounting to more than 2 per cent of their combined GDP.
The US spent almost $900 billion on defence last year, more than the rest of Nato combined, and the imbalance with European partners has long been one of Mr Trump's prime grievances.
But Mr Trump’s latest comments on the US election campaign trail, suggesting that he would “encourage” Russia to attack delinquent payers if he becomes president again, were regarded as his most alarming yet.
Rebuking Mr Trump without mentioning him by name, Mr Stoltenberg said any hint that Nato’s Article 5 mutual defence pledge no longer holds true weakens the security of its members.
“The whole idea of Nato is that an attack on one ally will trigger a response from the whole alliance. As long as we stand behind that message together we prevent any military attack on any ally,” he said.
“We have done so for decades because our deterrence is credible. Any suggestion that we are not standing up for each other, that we are not going to protect each other, that does undermine the security of all of us.”
President Joe Biden also strongly rejected Mr Trump’s comments, calling them “dumb, shameful, dangerous and un-American”. Like many others, he pointed out that the transatlantic alliance is a two-way street and that Article 5 has only ever been invoked to defend the US, after 9/11.
While Mr Trump likes to take credit for Europe’s increased spending, Mr Stoltenberg said the latest reinforcement was triggered by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The 2 per cent pledge dates back to Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014, which pushed Nato countries to reverse a long decline in military spending after the end of the Cold War.
Germany revealed on Wednesday it expects to hit 2 per cent for the first time since the early 1990s, after it approved €100 billion ($107.01 billion) of off-the-books spending to upgrade ageing military equipment.
Mr Stoltenberg did not reveal which countries are still behind the target, but said spending had risen an unprecedented 11 per cent in a year in Europe and Canada (in other words, the 30 non-US members of Nato).
“We are making real progress. European allies are spending more. However, some allies still have a way to go,” he said.
Mr Trump’s return to the fray is also affecting Nato’s support for Ukraine, with US aid to help fight off Russia held up in Congress by supporters of the former president.
Defence ministers are meeting in Brussels on Wednesday as Nato holds its largest military exercise since the Cold War, with about 91,000 troops staging months of war games in several countries.
The Steadfast Defender drill is a “clear demonstration of our capabilities” and Nato “will continue to ensure that there is no room for miscalculation” in the Kremlin, Mr Stoltenberg said.
Nato through the years - in pictures
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Need to know
The flights: Flydubai flies from Dubai to Kilimanjaro airport via Dar es Salaam from Dh1,619 return including taxes. The trip takes 8 hours.
The trek: Make sure that whatever tour company you select to climb Kilimanjaro, that it is a reputable one. The way to climb successfully would be with experienced guides and porters, from a company committed to quality, safety and an ethical approach to the mountain and its staff. Sonia Nazareth booked a VIP package through Safari Africa. The tour works out to $4,775 (Dh17,538) per person, based on a 4-person booking scheme, for 9 nights on the mountain (including one night before and after the trek at Arusha). The price includes all meals, a head guide, an assistant guide for every 2 trekkers, porters to carry the luggage, a cook and kitchen staff, a dining and mess tent, a sleeping tent set up for 2 persons, a chemical toilet and park entrance fees. The tiny ration of heated water provided for our bath in our makeshift private bathroom stall was the greatest luxury. A standard package, also based on a 4-person booking, works out to $3,050 (Dh11,202) per person.
When to go: You can climb Kili at any time of year, but the best months to ascend are January-February and September-October. Also good are July and August, if you’re tolerant of the colder weather that winter brings.
Do not underestimate the importance of kit. Even if you’re travelling at a relatively pleasant time, be geared up for the cold and the rain.
Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
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The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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