06:02 01-06-2026

Dragone Calls for Real Military Power Now

Arlington National Cemetery, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Admiral Dragone says NATO is not splitting but shifting responsibility, urging allies to turn higher defense spending into battalions and ships.

NATO Military Committee Chairman Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone said the changes now taking place inside the alliance should not be seen as a split. According to him, NATO is going through a redistribution of responsibility among its members.

Dragone described the situation not as fragmentation, but as a long-needed and ultimately healthy shift. In his view, the change means that NATO countries are moving toward a more balanced role in collective defense.

The admiral said European states are already increasing defense investment, building up military capabilities and taking greater responsibility for their own security. He recalled that at the 2025 NATO summit in The Hague, all 32 members agreed to raise national defense spending to 3.5% of GDP. The alliance is now moving toward a 5% target.

Dragone stressed that the main challenge for NATO is to turn increased funding into actual military strength. In his assessment, spending figures alone are not enough. The money must become battalions, ships and other real capabilities.

He added that NATO cannot deter anyone simply by «waving money in the air».