NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has increased pressure on members to increase defense spending. He focuses mainly on Germany. The current crisis would require investments like those during the Cold War.
“During the Cold War, when Konrad Adenauer or Willy Brandt ruled, defense spending amounted to three to four percent of economic production,” Stoltenberg told the newspapers of media group Funke (Sunday).
It was similar in his native Norway. “We did that then, and we must do it again today.”
Two percent is the “minimum”
Stoltenberg recalled the decision at the NATO summit in Vilnius that two percent of gross domestic product for military expenditure was “the minimum.” He assumes that many allies will be able to exceed this goal.
As a former head of government in Norway, he knows how difficult it is to budget more money for defense, while higher spending on health care, education or infrastructure is also necessary. But if tensions rise, defense spending should increase.
Stoltenberg criticizes Germany
Stoltenberg stressed that Germany has “still not achieved” NATO’s target of investing two percent of economic output in defense. However, he confirmed that Germany was “on the right track”. “It makes a huge difference for the alliance whether Europe’s largest country adheres to this demand or not,” NATO Secretary General said. “Two percent of a large pie is more than two percent of a small pie.”
Stoltenberg does not expect the fighting in Ukraine to end quickly. ‘Most wars last longer than expected when they started. That is why we must prepare for a long war in Ukraine.”
Source: Krone
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