BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) – NATO commander-in-chief Tod D. Wolters has asked the member states to report their contributions to the emergency plan against a possible second wave of the corona pandemic by July 10, according to a report by “Spiegel”. The plan agreed by the defense ministers a week and a half ago is to stock up on medical equipment as soon as possible. In addition, a crisis fund worth millions is to be set up.
It has not yet been finally clarified how large the medical equipment stocks will be and where they will be stored. In any case, they should contain material for intensive care units, ventilators and protective masks. In an emergency, funds from the crisis fund could be used, for example, to organize the transportation of material, but also of patients suffering from Covid-19. They should also be able to buy medical equipment.
A spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Defense had told the German press agency to adopt the plan, including that armed forces will support the measures. For Germany, however, the EU remains the front-line organization.
According to the “Spiegel” report, the military department is currently examining what military capabilities and equipment the Bundeswehr can provide for NATO’s operational plan./aha/DP/jha
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