Two-thirds of NATO countries still spend “pennies” on defense instead of 2% of GDP,

Two-thirds of NATO countries have still not increased defense spending to the minimum of 2% of GDP. Although experts consider even this level to be extremely insufficient, writes Sky News.

The publication notes that Donald Trump’s statements about encouraging aggression against allies who do not spend enough on defense are certainly harmful to NATO’s security. But the fact that the majority of NATO countries do not fulfill even the minimum obligations on security spending is not less, but rather even a greater threat.

Sky News also notes that NATO members bordering the Russian Federation – Poland and the Baltic States – are fulfilling their obligations. So, Trump’s dubious statement does not seem to concern them. The second thing is with the countries lying further to the west.

Official NATO data show that the largest economy in Europe – Germany – did not overcome the 2% mark in 2023, although in Berlin they say that they did. France, which by the way has nuclear weapons, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Portugal, Belgium – and the list goes on – have also failed to meet their defense spending obligations.

Trump’s controversial statement outraged the whole of Europe, but, as Sky News notes, European NATO countries “would be much better off focusing their energy on solving problems closer to home, urgently restoring reliable military forces capable of deterring threats with or without US support.”

Trump’s scandalous statement

As UNIAN wrote, at the end of last week, Donald Trump, speaking at a pre-election rally, said that he would allow Russia to “do whatever they want” with NATO countries that do not spend enough on their defense.

White House spokesman Andrew Bates called Trump’s words “terrible and unfounded.” And NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warned that such statements destroy the entire security system of Western countries.

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