Trump resumes U.S. military aid to Ukraine
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European nations have pledged more NATO funding partly through a novel redefinition of “defense.” Is it gimmickry or a more holistic approach to security?
16don MSN
NATO leaders agreed on a massive hike in defense spending Wednesday after pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, and expressed their “ironclad commitment” to come to each other’s aid if attacked.
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The leaders also underlined their ‘ironclad commitment’ to Nato’s collective security guarantee – ‘that an attack on one is an attack on all’.
NATO promised to use members' soaring defense budgets for a fivefold increase in air defenses. But there are problems beyond spending to fix.
The U.S. push for increased defense spending from its Asian allies mirrors the Cold War-era experience of NATO, where U.S. pressure led to gradual but necessary increases in defense capabilities.
But at a summit focused on keeping President Trump happy, discussion of Russia is expected to be muted, despite most allies’ belief that its aggression is NATO’s chief challenge.
Many NATO members lag far behind the U.S. in defense-spending levels and military capabilities. Now they are trying to fix that.
NATO leaders agree to hike military spending and restate ‘ironclad commitment’ to collective defense Some countries have already warned that they will struggle to meet the target.
NATO members will be expected to spend 3.5% of their GDP on core defence such as troops and weapons – the items currently covered by the old 2% target.
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