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NATO members to boost defense spending ‘considerably more than 3 percent’ of their GDP: report
NY Post ^ | 2/15/2025 | Matthew Sedacca

Posted on 02/15/2025 2:08:46 PM PST by marcusmaximus

NATO members will have to bolster their defense spending by “considerably more than 3%” of their GDP, the alliance’s Secretary General Mark Rutte said Saturday.

The alliance chief’s warning came just days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tore into NATO allies as failing to “take primary responsibility” for Europe’s defense and called for a minimum GDP spending target of 5%.

That amount is a drastic boost from the current 2% mark members pledged to meet more than a decade ago — an amount no member has ever reached, according to CNBC.

“Over the next couple of months we will get convergence” on the budget goal, Rutte told Politico during an interview panel hosted on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. He added the members “will have to prioritize defense over other stuff,” referring to social welfare programs, to reach beefed up defense spending targets.

NATO’s 32 members will come to an agreement on the new defense spending objectives when they meet for a June summit in the Hague, Netherlands, Rutte said.

Rutte, however, insisted that Washington still is committed to the alliance despite Hegseth’s warning that European allies can’t rely on America’s presence “forever.”

He noted the United States’ GDP makes up 50% of the alliance’s GDP, making it “an American organization,” and insisted the country had “a clear commitment to NATO.”

The secretary general, however, offered some tough advice to members amid the United States’ more hostile tenor toward the alliance during a second Trump administration.

“Get into the debate, not by complaining … but by coming up with concrete ideas,” he said at the conference, CNBC reported.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: endnato; globohomo; nato; nazinato

1 posted on 02/15/2025 2:08:46 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: marcusmaximus

Trump’s point all along.

Another win for Trump.


2 posted on 02/15/2025 2:10:08 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: dfwgator

Carrot. Stick. Boot.


3 posted on 02/15/2025 2:11:03 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: marcusmaximus

LOL! That will be interesting since most of them never even complied with the 2% of their GDP agreement they made in 2014.


4 posted on 02/15/2025 2:11:07 PM PST by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: mass55th
He added the members “will have to prioritize defense over other stuff,” referring to social welfare programs, to reach beefed up defense spending targets.
5 posted on 02/15/2025 2:14:53 PM PST by marcusmaximus
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To: marcusmaximus

NATO members outside the US: No Action, Talk Only


6 posted on 02/15/2025 2:33:56 PM PST by paudio (NEW MATH: 45=47)
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To: marcusmaximus

I’ll believe it when I see it from perpetual freeloaders like Germany.


7 posted on 02/15/2025 2:37:59 PM PST by FLT-bird
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To: marcusmaximus
“will have to prioritize defense over other stuff,” referring to social welfare programs, to reach beefed up defense spending targets."

They should have been doing that in years past, not just talking about doing it in 2025.

8 posted on 02/15/2025 2:40:12 PM PST by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: marcusmaximus

I’ll believe when I see it. The euros generally say whatever it takes to get them through their latest crisis.


9 posted on 02/15/2025 2:44:34 PM PST by glorgau
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To: dfwgator

This could get interesting since the UK, for example, has more admirals than fighting ships or, one admiral for every 800 sailors.

Not kidding.


10 posted on 02/15/2025 2:51:27 PM PST by crz
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To: marcusmaximus

Anyone else wondering if our Deep State has been laundering American taxpayer money to the EU to help them keep their welfare states afloat...?

I include the UK in that question since it Brexited in name only.


11 posted on 02/15/2025 2:53:26 PM PST by mewzilla (Swing away, Mr. President, swing away!)
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To: mass55th
LOL! That will be interesting since most of them never even complied with the 2% of their GDP agreement they made in 2014.

Not true, though it was just a few years ago. Only 8 of 32 NATO members failed to meet the 2% goal as of last year. One of the worst offenders is Canada, the largest economy in NATO to fail to meet the 2% goal and the most dependent on both the US economy and US defense. Italy and Spain are also on the low end, with the rest being smaller GDP countries.

Poland is the only country in NATO spending more than 4%, and other than Poland and the 3 Baltic countries bordering Russia/Belarus, no European NATO member is spending over 2.5%. They need to be at 3+ if they want to have a force capable of deterring Russia. Europe also needs their own nuclear deterrence. What they currently have is far too limited.

12 posted on 02/15/2025 3:04:49 PM PST by ETCM (“There is no security, no safety, in the appeasement of evil.” — Ronald Reagan)
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To: ETCM
" Only 8 of 32 NATO members failed to meet the 2% goal as of last year."

Only 8? After 10 years? What a record.

13 posted on 02/15/2025 3:28:06 PM PST by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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To: mass55th

Germany: Largest economy in Europe
United Kingdom: Second largest economy
France: Third largest economy
Italy: Fourth largest economy
Spain: Fifth largest economy

If you get the top 5 at 4%, the problem is solved.

But it will never happen. It’s like they have a suicide pact.


14 posted on 02/15/2025 4:01:45 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: dfwgator

They have been welfare queens by off loading their own security onto us for many years now.


15 posted on 02/15/2025 4:04:02 PM PST by Republican Wildcat
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To: Mariner
"But it will never happen. It’s like they have a suicide pact."

They just like depending on U.S. taxpayers to protect their asses.

16 posted on 02/15/2025 5:02:05 PM PST by mass55th (“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” ― John Wayne)
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