[Leaning Right]

Why don’t they just cut their defense budgets and let Uncle Sam pick up the slack? After all, that has worked before.

[Cronos]

Nearly all are also members of NATO. If they want to keep membership, they need to meet the 2% limit.

If not, then move American troops out of Germany and the UK etc. and into Poland.

Right now Germany, France, etc. don’t worry about Russia (the purpose of NATO) - they see that as Poland’s issue.

[Cronos]

But to the point - this is the EU budget, not the budget of individual countries. The EU doesn't have a defense budget as the EU is a confederation -- individual countries have the defense budgets

The EU's budget spending is about increasing trade and other common standards across the confederation