Staff Reports
President Joe Biden and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced that a record number of NATO members are now meeting the commitment to spend at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense. This is a significant increase in defense spending by the allies, more than doubling since President Biden took office. Stoltenberg highlighted that 23 of NATO's 32 members have increased their defense spending to meet the 2% target, representing an 18% collective increase across the alliance in the past year, the most significant increase in decades.
Their emphasis on increased defense spending demonstrates the allies' commitment to the joint responsibility of protecting all members of the NATO alliance. Additionally, Stoltenberg expressed expectations for NATO to have a role in providing security assistance and training and to increase financial support to Ukraine to reduce the burden on the United States and strengthen support to Ukraine.
Biden and NATO chief mark record member GDP defense commitments https://t.co/LLHtdQjIwM
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 18, 2024
The announcement comes ahead of the upcoming NATO summit in Washington, D.C., and amid the potential return of former President Donald Trump to the White House. During his presidency, Trump had been critical of NATO, arguing that the United States should not bear a disproportionate spending responsibility compared to other members. However, he has since promised to continue supporting NATO as long as other members "play fair."
While at a separate engagement, Stoltenberg declined to speculate on when all 32 NATO members would reach the GDP defense spending target, noting that there has been significant progress across the alliance with more members meeting or exceeding the 2% target.
Overall, the increased defense spending by NATO members under President Biden and Stoltenberg's leadership signals a step toward a more equitable burden-sharing within the alliance as they work to strengthen the collective defense capabilities and enhance security partnerships.
