The United States is responsible for 75 percent of NATO military spending, and only a handful of European countries meet the alliance’s target of having military budgets of 2 percent of gross domestic product. The reluctance is particularly strong among some NATO members, like Spain, Italy, France and Germany, with major business and energy ties to Russia. They would like to see a quick return to the status quo ante.
“The fundamental understanding of security in Europe has now collapsed,” said President Toomas Hendrik Ilves of Estonia. “Everything that has happened since 1989 has been predicated on the fundamental assumption that you don’t change borders by force, and that’s now out the window. Political leaders need to recognize that the old rules no longer apply.”
In 2013, among the few NATO countries that met the 2 percent target, according to NATO figures, were the United States, at 4.1 percent, and Britain, at 2.4 percent. Estonia was at 2 percent, and Greece, though debt-saddled, spent 2.3 percent. France was at 1.9 percent, and Turkey and Poland were at 1.8 percent, while Italy spent only 1.2 percent of its G.D.P.
Two new members, Spain and Hungary, along with two apparently vulnerable Baltic countries, Latvia and Lithuania, spent less than 1 percent. Even wealthy Germany spent only 1.3 percent. Over all, European members of NATO were at 1.6 percent. Här artikeln.
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