Posted on 02/15/2017 1:39:31 PM PST by TBP
Secretary of Defense James Mattis reaffirmed U.S. commitment to NATO Wednesday, CNN reported, but warned other member nations they must meet the alliance’s financial requirements or that commitment could be moderated.
Mattis met with defense officials from the 27 other NATO member nations in Brussels and made his first address to the alliance as U.S. defense secretary. In the speech, he called the NATO alliance the “fundamental bedrock for the U.S. and all the transatlantic community,” according to CNN.
However, because only five of the member nations currently meet the spending target — 2 percent of their gross domestic product must be spent on defense — required for membership, Mattis issued a strong directive to alliance members regarding the need for a renewed focus on meeting the financial requirement for membership. The five nations that currently meet the NATO spending requirement are the United Kingdom, Estonia, Poland, Greece and the United States.
“No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defense of western values,” Mattis said, CNN reported. “Americans cannot care more for your children’s security than you do. Disregard for military readiness demonstrates a lack of respect for ourselves, for the alliance, and for the freedoms we inherited, which are now clearly threatened.”
(Excerpt) Read more at theblaze.com ...
2% is too low. We spend 4.7% on defense.
It’s a start.
I agree. I wonder if they value their defense enough to pay for it?
They have benefited from our protection for far too long. Freeloaders that were welcomed under previous administrations are being asked to step up and pay for their own defense.
I agree. NATO needs to pony up.
I’m good with this. If they care so little for their own defense, why should we care? We have enough problems here to deal with without having to carry others’ weight.
Here comes McCain and his butt boy. I wonder which one plays the female. My money is on Graham.
2% is what they agreed to. Let’s get them there first, then we’ll talk to them about upping it.
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