Argentina bombshell as Milei submits request to join NATO
Argentina bombshell as Milei submits request to join NATO
President Milei has formally put in an application to join the global military alliance.
President Milei has formally put in an application to join the global military alliance.
Today, Defense Minister Luis Alfonso Petri submitted the formal request. He said on X: "I met with Deputy Secretary General of NATO Geoana. I transmitted a letter of intent to him, which contains a request from Argentina to become a global partner of this organisation.”
[…]
“Argentina plays an important role in Latin America, and I welcome today’s request to explore becoming a NATO partner. NATO works with a range of countries around the world to promote peace and stability. Closer political and practical cooperation could benefit us both.”
Firstly, hooray for globalism.
Secondly, I did not have this on my 2024 bingo.
How would this even work? NATO is a treaty for collective defence against an attack on a member's territory 'in Europe or North America'. Argentina isn't in Europe or North America, so presumably wouldn't get the Article 5 protection that is the cornerstone of collective defence - unless the treaty was amended to also cover members' territory in South America?
(Sidenote: to the best of my knowledge, since NATO was established only one country has attacked the territory of a NATO member in South America... 🤔)
I honestly have no idea. It also looks like Argentina is keeping their claim on the Falklands, too, so that muddies things even further.