“We really need Europe to step up as much as possible to take the security burden off of our forces that are there as much as possible so we can allocate more of our finite resources elsewhere.”.
Those questions will be at the center of public and private conversations this week when NATO members meet for a high-stakes summit in Madrid.Numerous NATO members increased annual defense spending past 2% of gross domestic product, which has become the widely accepted target figure.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sparked more defense spending increases, but even European leaders acknowledge that they have been too slow to bolster their militaries.From 1999 to 2021, EU combined defense spending increased by 20%, the European Commission said in a May 18 analysis.During that same time, defense spending increased by 66% in the U.S., 292% in Russia and a whopping 592% in China.
“Russia’s aggression against Ukraine has changed the security landscape in Europe.In 2020, total EU defense spending amounted to 1.3% of the alliance’s GDP, according to European Commission figures.Key European nations, including Germany and Poland, have ramped up their defense budgets in the months since the war in Ukraine began.
It emphasizes that the military is present in the region to deter Russian aggression and demonstrate NATO solidarity.
Military analysts say such deterrence is crucial for the security of Europe and for America’s long-term foreign policy challenges beyond the continent.and NATO defense postures in Europe.
Major European military players such as Britain and France are increasing their presence in the Pacific, specialists say, but others should focus almost entirely on Europe to take pressure off U.S.