Coronavirus May Become Security Challenge If NATO Lets Down Defenses - US Ambassador

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may evolve into a security crisis if NATO loosens its defenses and deterrence, US Ambassador to the alliance Kay Hutchinson told reporters on Tuesday

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th April, 2020) The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may evolve into a security crisis if NATO loosens its defenses and deterrence, US Ambassador to the alliance Kay Hutchinson told reporters on Tuesday.

"This is a healthcare crisis, but it could be a security crisis as well. It could be a security crisis if we let down on our defenses and deterrent activities. Our adversaries will be watching to see if that is the case, which is not at this time," Hutchinson said at a briefing before the NATO ministerial.

Hutchinson said NATO's deterrence is "absolutely intact" with all missions active except the one in Iraq that was put on hold amid the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The ambassador reiterated the need to keep defense budgets full despite the worldwide decreases in GDP and the possible inclinations to divert money to health care and other social needs.

"It will be more important than ever for our defense expenditures to stay at the higher levels that we have committed to do, all of us have committed to increase defense spending," Hutchinson said. "And we need to continue to keep those commitments because we now see that first of all security is our most important asset. That is what makes for the democracies and the peace that we all live in."

The United States has been insisting that its NATO allies boost defense spending to at least 2 percent of their GDP as had been previously agreed.