Admiral Pierre Vandier, since September 2024, has been head of the Supreme Allied Command for Transformation (SACT), one of the two NATO strategic staffs. This is located on the naval base of Norfolk, Virginia, from where it is close to the Pentagon. Admiral Vandier is the highest French ranking in the Atlantic Alliance. Previously, he was notably chief of staff of the French Navy (2020-2023).
Allies are currently reflecting on how to reach the Trump administration to devote 5 % of their GDP to their defense budget. How can they do it with their budgetary constraints?
After the election of Donald Trump in the United States, NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte, asked me to accelerate work on the programming of the Alliance's military spending by six months. This process, called “nato defense planning process” (NDPP), is renewed every four years. He had to end in October, we succeeded in being ready for the annual NATO summit, which must take place, at the end of June, in The Hague, where decisions must be made. These plans define needs, a framework, but the allies have all latitude to consult and rationalize the involvement of these targets.
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Source: Lemonde