I very strongly agree with the hon. Gentleman. That is very important. I have high hopes that the Prime Minister, when she visits President Trump, will make those points clearly. I hope President Trump will say something in his inauguration speech that will clarify what he meant by “obsolete” in relation to NATO. I am not offended by that. I was discussing it with the Chairman of the Select Committee on Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for New Forest East (Dr Lewis), and I do not think that President Trump meant it as an insult. It is true that there is much about NATO that is highly unsatisfactory and obsolete, not least because many countries do not pay their fair whack. It is very slow to transform and is not equipped for the new asymmetric hybrid versions of warfare that we will have to contend with, or as advanced as Russia, as has been seen in its unbelievably bad behaviour in Crimea.
Leaving the EU: Security, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice
Proceeding contribution from
Lord Soames of Fletching
(Conservative)
in the House of Commons on Wednesday, 18 January 2017.
It occurred during Debate on Leaving the EU: Security, Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice.
Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
619 c970 
Session
2016-17
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
Subjects
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Timestamp
2024-08-13 13:07:17 +0100
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