European NATO allies and Canada have expressed willingness to ramp up defense spending in response to growing tensions with Russia, but are hesitant to meet the US demand of 5% of their gross domestic product.
The decision comes as the US has spent billions of dollars more on defense since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago. However, many countries still don’t meet NATO’s target of at least 2% of their GDP. US President Donald Trump has set a goal of 5%, which would require unprecedented investment.
Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly stated that increased spending is necessary to address the threat posed by Russia. “If not, I don’t know why we should always increase more and more defense spending,” she said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured that Washington isn’t insisting on immediate action, but believes 5% spending is needed for NATO’s security. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot expressed support for the goal, stating that new funds should be spent on European equipment rather than American gear.
However, the Trump administration’s tariff war has raised concerns about economic growth and its impact on US allies at NATO. The alliance’s founding treaty prioritizes eliminating conflict in international economic policies. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte acknowledged that tariffs don’t breach the treaty, but stressed that individual countries must ensure their security through means not dependent solely on budget space.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide stated that setting a new spending target is underway, with an announcement expected at the next summit in June. He noted that meeting a 5% target would be “a very high ambition” and emphasized the importance of spending more “smartly.”
Source: https://apnews.com/article/nato-defense-spending-budgets-military-russia-a84753c3c2edeb929f2ec27decbfe324