The international conflicts apparently cause greater vigilance among NATO members. As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg explained on Wednesday, 18 of the 31 member states will reach the so-called two percent target this year – in some cases with new record amounts.
Spending by European partners would amount to a total of $380 billion, Stoltenberg said before NATO defense ministers began deliberating in Brussels – an unprecedented move.
All Member States want to increase expenditure
Stoltenberg called on the thirteen other NATO countries to quickly fulfill their obligations. He recalled the decision of last year’s summit, according to which all member states of the alliance want to increase their defense spending. “This two percent is a minimum,” the Norwegian emphasized.
It was already known that Germany budgeted for planned defense expenditure of two percent of gross domestic product for the first time in thirty years.
“Have NATO’s nuclear deterrent”
NATO’s Secretary General also spoke out against an additional nuclear deterrent system in Europe. “We have NATO’s nuclear deterrent and this has provided NATO allies with the ultimate security guarantees for decades.” It is important to ensure that the functioning system remains safe and reliable, Stoltenberg said. Its credibility should not be undermined.
The core of nuclear deterrence should therefore remain US nuclear weapons stationed in Europe, which could also involve countries such as Germany through the concept of ‘nuclear sharing’. Another part of nuclear deterrence, according to Stoltenberg, is the nuclear weapons that the European NATO states Great Britain and France have at their disposal.
Record amount in Germany
According to the current NATO forecast, the sum means a GDP ratio of 2.01 percent. According to documents from the NATO archives, Germany last spent two percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 1992. During the Cold War, this percentage was usually more than three percent.
Clear message to Trump
The current figures are a clear signal, especially in light of the statements of former American president and new presidential candidate Donald Trump. During a campaign appearance last weekend, he said the “president of a great country” once asked him whether the U.S. would still protect this country from Russia even if the country did not pay for its defense spending. He replied, “No, I wouldn’t protect you.” In fact, he would even encourage Russia to do whatever they want.
According to NATO circles, the new figures in Germany correspond to an increase in defense spending of more than 20 percent compared to the previous year. The last public report on defense spending by the alliance states only gave a comparative figure of $56.64 billion and a GDP ratio of 1.57 percent for Germany in 2023. These figures will be adjusted upwards in the coming report.
Response to international conflicts
With the drastic increase in defense expenditure, countries are mainly responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. By significantly strengthening deterrence and defense, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin must make it clear that an attack on a European NATO country has no chance of success.
NATO plans to present a new public overview in March with data on member states’ defense spending. It will therefore show how high the estimated German defense expenditure is in current prices. According to information from the German Press Agency, the internal preparatory documents for the meeting of defense ministers next Thursday contain only the inflation-adjusted comparative figures in US dollars.
Source: Krone
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