18 minutes agoNATO boosts defence spending, due to Trump provocations
Periskopi(8 years ago)
(8 years ago)NATO leaders said Wednesday they have agreed to contribute more money to their defence budget “We are committed to improving the division of the costs and responsibilities of membership in the alliance,” NATO said in a statement. The announcement was made just hours after US President Donald Trump [...]
NATO leaders said Wednesday they agreed to contribute more money to their defence budget
“We are committed to improving the division of the costs and responsibilities of membership in the alliance,” said NATO military in a statement.
The announcement took place just hours after US President Donald Trump reiterated criticism of NATO countries that they do not contribute enough to protect the 70-year-old alliance with 29 members.
Severe divisions over who should pay for Europe's defence overshadowed the opening of NATO's meeting in Brussels after US President Donald Trump accused European allies of profiting at the expense of American taxpayers.
The U.S. spends about 3.5 percent of Bruto's defence production, far more than other member states. It is projected that eight of the 29 members, including the United States, will meet NATO's two per cent GDP target this year. The US provides 70 per cent of NATO's budget.
But President Trump called for NATO allies to commit to spending 4 per cent of their GDP on defence by 2024. White House Press Secretary Sarah Hookebee Sanders confirmed that Mr. Trump put the idea at a closed-door meeting with other NATO leaders.
Vice President Trump wants our allies to share more burdens and minimally fulfill their already declared obligations”, said Mrs. Sanders.
Secretary - General NATO Jens Stoltenberg delivered a clear message in Brussels: This year's summit will focus on who pays the bill, or on the division of the burden.
The right division of the burden supports everything we do. Just a few years ago we cut our defence budgets. Now we're adding billions,” said Mr. Stoltenberg.
Meanwhile, the US president acknowledged himself for the billions added to the alliance budgets:
Because of me, they added about $40 billion over the past year. So I think the Secretary General likes Trump. He may be the only one, but that's enough for me,” Mr. Trump told reporters as the summit began.
Coalitions and friendships are being tested at the meeting of world leaders. President Trump accused Berlin of being under Moscow's control, citing a new pipeline project that would bring Russian gas directly to Germany.
After a bilateral meeting that seemed tense with her American counterpart, German Chancellor Angela Merkel underlined her country's commitment to NATO.
It is very important to have these exchanges together, because we are partners, we are good partners and we want to continue co-operating in the future”, she told reporters.
Targeting Germany is not necessarily right, says defence analyst Sophia Besch of the Centre for European Reform.
Germany's NATO contribution far exceeds what it spends on its defence. Germany is contributing troops as the main country in Lithuania and to the NATO front-hand side in the east,” says analyst Besch.
The dispute over defence spending seems to overshadow other issues at the two-day summit. Britain announced it will double its number of troops in Afghanistan, while Canada offered to lead a NATO training mission to Iraq.
A joint declaration of the summit released Wednesday highlights NATO's support for Ukraine and its aspirations for membership in the alliance, pending internal reforms. Ukraine is participating in the Brussels summit, and further discussions will be held Thursday.
NATO also officially extended an invitation to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to membership once an acceptable solution with Greece is reached on the name dispute.
Georgia's future membership will also be discussed Thursday.
