Former NATO chief says he doesn't think allies will be pulled further into Middle East conflict

Jens Stoltenberg
Photo: ARN News Centre

The former secretary general of NATO Jens Stoltenberg says he doesn't think allies will be pulled further into the conflict in the Middle East, but he's concerned the ongoing war with Iran will benefit Russia's economy and take the world's attention away from the war in Ukraine, CBC reports.

"NATO has never played any important role in important Middle East conflicts," Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview on CBC's The House airing Saturday morning. "I think it's important to prevent NATO [from becoming] involved in the conflict."

Though he believes NATO allies will not become further entangled in the war, which began two weeks ago when Israel and the United States launched air attacks across Iran, Stoltenberg did express concern about the global impacts.

"We see that the economic consequences are significant. Increased energy prices, and that can lead to reduced global growth and increased inflation," Stoltenberg told host Catherine Cullen.

Today, he's Norway's minister of finance.

"It's a combination of the human suffering with the economic consequences which is making me, of course, concerned," he said.

Stoltenberg also warned military equipment that Ukraine needs is being diverted to the Middle East to protect against Iranian attacks, which could give Russia better chances to strike Ukrainian territory.

Will NATO survive Trump's presidency?

According to Stoltenberg, there are no guarantees NATO will survive U.S. President Donald Trump — who is quite public about his frustration with the alliance — but he still believes it will prevail.

"A strong NATO is good for Europe, it's good for Canada, but it's also good for the United States," Stoltenberg said.

"We help the U.S. to get critical information for their own security," Stoltenberg said.

"So the criticism that President Trump has expressed has primarily not been against NATO. It has been against the NATO allies not investing enough in [the alliance], and the good news is that has changed and is changing."

NATO countries have pledged to spend five per cent of their gross domestic product on defence — 3.5 per cent on their militaries and an additional 1.5 per cent on defence infrastructure.

NATO allies are not going to die for US and Israeli interests

US NATO allies are not going to die for US and Israeli interests in a war against Iran.

Norway has no plans to send its warships to the Strait of Hormuz, Norwegian Defense Ministry spokeswoman Marita Hundeshagen said, following calls from US President Donald Trump for several countries to do so.

The French carrier group, including the country's only aircraft carrier, the Charles de Gaulle, remains in the Eastern Mediterranean despite US President Donald Trump's recent call for several countries to send their ships to ensure security in the Strait of Hormuz, the French Foreign Ministry reported.

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