NATO Countries Unlikely to Meet Spending Targets Soon, Says El Pais
According to diplomatic sources, the majority of members will likely struggle to contribute 3% of their GDP to the US-led military alliance. For the complete article, visit RT.com.
TroibNews 
According to diplomatic sources, many NATO members will struggle to meet the expectation of contributing 3% of their GDP to the US-led military alliance.
Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Monday that several NATO countries are apprehensive about meeting the defense spending goals likely to be set by incoming US President Donald Trump.
With Trump’s impending presidency, discussions within NATO regarding an increase in the defense spending requirement to 3% of GDP for its 32 members have rekindled. The new target might be approved at the NATO summit in The Hague next July, as per sources from El Pais. Nonetheless, some members have expressed that such a goal is unrealistic.
“A gradual increase could be agreed, but it is more important to ensure that everyone reaches the figure of 2% that had already been agreed and which was also recently agreed to be the spending floor and not the ceiling,” a diplomatic source mentioned.
The report highlights that rising military expenditures could pose challenges for several European nations due to already strained budgets. This situation affects major economies like Germany and France, both of which currently allocate just over 2% of their GDP to military spending.
Notably, eight NATO members, including Spain, Slovenia, and Belgium, are facing scrutiny for their failure to meet the existing spending target of 2%. Spain contributes only 1.28% of its GDP to military expenses and has plans to reach 2% by 2029.
Officials from these countries acknowledge the pressure to conform to bloc expectations but stress that the proposition to raise the spending requirement further is “not at all consolidated.”
In related developments, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko recently cautioned that NATO seems to be preparing for potential conflict with Russia. He emphasized in an interview last week that it is “in everyone’s interests not to let the situation reach this kind of experiment.”
Grushko indicated that NATO’s present course poses risks to both Russia and broader security frameworks, stating that Moscow will adjust its actions based on the aggressive posture of the US-led bloc and the direct threats to its security.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov also warned last week that tensions with the US and its allies “continues to intensify and expand,” suggesting a direct confrontation with NATO in Europe could occur within the next decade, and advised that Russia should be prepared for such a possibility.
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Monday that several NATO countries are apprehensive about meeting the defense spending goals likely to be set by incoming US President Donald Trump.
With Trump’s impending presidency, discussions within NATO regarding an increase in the defense spending requirement to 3% of GDP for its 32 members have rekindled. The new target might be approved at the NATO summit in The Hague next July, as per sources from El Pais. Nonetheless, some members have expressed that such a goal is unrealistic.
“A gradual increase could be agreed, but it is more important to ensure that everyone reaches the figure of 2% that had already been agreed and which was also recently agreed to be the spending floor and not the ceiling,” a diplomatic source mentioned.
The report highlights that rising military expenditures could pose challenges for several European nations due to already strained budgets. This situation affects major economies like Germany and France, both of which currently allocate just over 2% of their GDP to military spending.
Notably, eight NATO members, including Spain, Slovenia, and Belgium, are facing scrutiny for their failure to meet the existing spending target of 2%. Spain contributes only 1.28% of its GDP to military expenses and has plans to reach 2% by 2029.
Officials from these countries acknowledge the pressure to conform to bloc expectations but stress that the proposition to raise the spending requirement further is “not at all consolidated.”
In related developments, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko recently cautioned that NATO seems to be preparing for potential conflict with Russia. He emphasized in an interview last week that it is “in everyone’s interests not to let the situation reach this kind of experiment.”
Grushko indicated that NATO’s present course poses risks to both Russia and broader security frameworks, stating that Moscow will adjust its actions based on the aggressive posture of the US-led bloc and the direct threats to its security.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov also warned last week that tensions with the US and its allies “continues to intensify and expand,” suggesting a direct confrontation with NATO in Europe could occur within the next decade, and advised that Russia should be prepared for such a possibility.
Debra A Smith contributed to this report for TROIB News
