On June 30 (New York time), according to TASS, the US said it is waiting for NATO member countries to report on the progress of implementing its commitment to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
The information was released by Mr. Matthew Whitaker - US Ambassador to NATO - ahead of the alliance summit scheduled to take place in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7 and 8. 7.
Speaking on Newsmax, Mr. Whitaker said this meeting will act as a "first check" after the agreement reached at the NATO conference in The Hague last year.
The NATO summit will take place next week in Ankara. This will be the first opportunity for member countries to review the implementation of the commitment to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, agreed at the conference in The Hague last year," Whitaker said.
According to the US diplomat, Washington has now exceeded the above-mentioned defense spending threshold and expects other member countries to take similar steps.
We are spending at a higher level than this target and hope that allies will also fully implement the commitments made," Mr. Whitaker emphasized.
The goal of increasing defense spending to 5% of GDP was approved by NATO after a proposal from the US in the context of an increasingly complex international security environment, especially the Russia-Ukraine conflict and instability in the Middle East.
According to the agreement, member states will have until 2035 to complete this goal.
However, the sharp increase in the defense budget is still causing debate in many European countries. Many governments believe that allocating up to 5% of GDP to the military sector will put great pressure on the public budget, especially in the context of slow economic growth and increasing social spending needs.
Some NATO countries have not yet reached a minimum spending level of 2% of GDP - a target that NATO had set for many years before.
Observers believe that the summit in Ankara will be an important test of the solidarity and determination of NATO members in implementing new commitments.
The outcome of the meeting is also expected to reflect the growing influence of the US on the coalition's common security decisions.
