"We will use NATO more as a platform for political consultations among the allies": That is what the heads of government of the alliance agreed at their last meeting in June.

It was the conclusion of a lengthy reflection process that began in late 2019 when French President Emmanuel Macron certified the alliance to be brain dead.

Paris and Berlin were on fire for a new culture of debate.

It is now establishing itself, albeit in a NATO-typical way.

Conflicts take place internally, behind closed doors;

little of it is disclosed.

This can be seen in two examples that preoccupied the foreign ministers in Riga: in the struggle for nuclear disarmament and in dealing with the mission in Afghanistan.

Thomas Gutschker

Political correspondent for the European Union, NATO and the Benelux countries based in Brussels.

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On the first topic, Berlin can of course be very happy about the low level of publicity - because important NATO members are annoyed about the new traffic light coalition before it has even taken office. This is due to a sentence in the coalition agreement that has so far received little attention in Berlin, but even more so in Brussels. "As an observer (not as a member) at the Conference of the Parties to the Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty, the intention of the treaty will be accompanied constructively," the Ampel partners determine. The treaty was negotiated within the United Nations and came into force earlier this year. The 86 signatories to date have not only pledged not to develop or accept nuclear weapons, but also not to station them with them, to threaten them or to use them.

It's easy - no nuclear power took part.

When the treaty text was in 2017, the North Atlantic Council published its statement on the same day: “The attempt to ban nuclear weapons with a treaty that does not bind a single state that actually owns nuclear weapons will not be effective, will not and will not reduce nuclear arsenals neither the security of a single country nor international peace and stability. ”All NATO members supported this, none of them signed the treaty.

The Berlin coalition partners knew how sensitive the issue is - that is why they are only aiming for observer status at the Conference of the Parties and also point to a "close consultation with our allies".

"Very clear views on this"

Nonetheless, the passage creates a lot of internal trouble.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg let it be known that he had even spoken to the future Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) about it.

"We have very clear views on this," says the American side;

that had also been made clear to Germany.

Another diplomat says they sent a “very tough message” to Berlin.

Because the observer status is by no means neutral, because observers would also have to contribute to the financing of the conference, which will meet for the first time next January.