Argentina formally requested on Thursday to join NATO as a global partner, a status that would clear the way for greater political and security cooperation at a time when the right-wing government of President Javier Milei aims to boost ties with Western powers and attract investment.
The request came as NATO’s Deputy General Secretary Mircea Geoana held talks in Brussels on regional security challenges with visiting Argentine Defense Minister Luis Petri.
Geoana said he welcomed Argentina’s bid to become an accredited partner in the alliance — a valued role short of “ally” for nations that are not in NATO’s geographical area and not required to take part in collective military actions. NATO membership is currently limited to countries of Europe, Turkey, Canada and the United States.
The designation could allow Argentina access to advanced technology, security systems and training not previously available to it, the Argentine presidency said.
That headline is misleading. They don’t want to join NATO. They want to be a NATO partner like a few other countries not in North America or Europe. They wouldn’t be part of the mutual defense pact but their military and arms dealers would use NATO “standards.”
It’s probably more about him wanting Argentina to manufacture some NATO-approved weapons — like get a subcontract to make spare parts and ammo for NATO tanks — and also modernize Argentina’s military by training with NATO countries
Sweden and Finland joining NATO: We had good reasons not to join previously, but we’re now genuinely worried about Russia’s recent expansionism, and as its neighbours, and we want tighter military cooperation with our allies.
Milei joining NATO: Man wouldn’t I look cool in the photo.
It’s part if his well thought out strategy of “please let me part of the cool kids group I’ll do anything I’ll strip down the country and sell it for scraps just let me smell Ayn Rand’s clothes”
If they were to expand it beyond the region, you’d expect a few other countries to join before Argentina: Japan and South Korea, to name two.
Just a reminder that NATO used to stand for North Atlantic yada yada. Should I expect Japan to relocate to Atlantic Ocean anytime?
I’m not sure membership decisions should be primarily based on whether the acronym works well
Turkey is already part of NATO and they aren’t on the Atlantic at all.
While they have coasts on several seas, they’re closer to the Indian ocean than they are the Atlantic Ocean.
NATO was always a military alliance built in opposition to Russia (back then the USSR), so Turkey had a lot of strategic value. The US has different sorts of relationships with countries that have no strategic interest in relation to Russia (Japan, South Korea, Taiwan), and NATO as a whole has nothing to gain from welcoming Argentina.
If you don’t think Japan has strategic interest in relation to Russia, you need to go brush up on your history and geography.
fascists can get fucked
Aren’t they also trying to join bricks. Are they just signing up to everything as a last gasp to save the country?
Officialy? China bad, russian commies bad, US hell yeah, israel the superior race, eagles and freedom rules!!
Unofficially? Who knows. China and the US have been arm wrestling here for different topics. For example, we are buying f16 because USA gave a counteroffer so we dont buy chinese jets (now, staying close to nato could just be a way to ensure that we get f16 spare parts). The same happened (many times) when we were debating about buying a chinese PWR.
Now there is some fuzz about who controls the pass near tierra del fuego. China was building a restricted port and they already have a military base. US is now doing it too, but at least they promise to do it in colaboration with us… if this thing is real, it would be a miracle if we end the next decade still controlling Patagonia.
