Staff Reports
Argentina has made a dramatic plea to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as a “global partner.” The Defense Minister, Luis Petri, made the announcement on social media, saying the country wants to align its military forces with NATO standards.
The Defense Minister flew all the way to NATO Headquarters in Belgium to hand-deliver a letter personally requesting Argentina’s inclusion as a global partner. And guess what? The Deputy Secretary General of NATO, Mircea Geoana, was all in favor of the idea. He even said Argentina plays a big role in Latin America, and he’s eager to explore this new partnership.
Argentina formally requests to become NATO partner – Washington Examiner https://t.co/w7KJddGhm7
— Cassis (@cassisnouveau) April 19, 2024
But that’s not all! Argentina didn’t just show up with a letter, they also went shopping for fighter jets. They scored a sweet deal on 24 F-16 jets from Denmark, with a little help from the United States. Reports say those jets came with a price tag of nearly $300 million, but the U.S. chipped in with $40 million in military financing to help foot the bill. That’s what friends are for, right?
The Defense Minister was so pumped about the purchase, calling it the most important military buy for Argentina since they returned to democracy in 1983. This is huge for President Javier Milei, who’s been talking a big game about beefing up Argentina’s military.
Now let’s talk about what being a “global partner” actually means. It’s not full NATO membership, but it does involve things like sharing intelligence and teaming up for military operations. So, it’s like they’re joining a club, but not getting a membership card. At least not yet.
And just so you know, Argentina’s been cozying up to NATO for a while now. They scored the title of “major non-NATO ally” back in 1998, so it’s clear they’ve been eyeing this membership for a while.
So, will Argentina be NATO’s newest global partner? Well, it sure looks like they’re trying their hardest to make it happen!
