Next year’s NATO summit may see member states told to ramp up defence spending to 3% of GDP as war with Russia and continued confrontation with China looms.
However, as it stands, eight of the 32 NATO states don’t hit the current 2% defence spending target, and only six currently spend more than 3%.
Croatia, Portgual, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Spain are all projected to spend between 1.81% and 1.28% of GDP on defence this year.
Meanwhile, only Greece, Latvia, the United States, Estonia, and Poland are expected to spend more than 3%. Only Poland is forecast to go above four.
Talks are being held about the possibility of formally bringing a 3% target onto the table. US President-elect Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of many of the European members of NATO that fail to meet their current obligations.
With Mr Trump just over a month away from returning to the White House, sources told the Financial Times that discussions were being had about introducing a 2.5% target, increasing to a 3% target by 2030.
Mr Trump told Nigel Farage in March this year: “NATO has to treat the US fairly, because if it’s not for the United States, NATO literally doesn’t even exist.
“So if they start to play fair, America’s there?” the Reform UK leader asked. “Yes. 100 percent,” Mr Trump said.
In December, NATO General Secretary Mark Rutte told the FT he has an idea about what the defence spending target should be.
He told the outlet: “I have a number in my mind, but I’m not going to mention it now. But clearly, when you look at the capability targets, [when] you look at the gaps still there . . . It is clear that, with 2%, you cannot get there.”
“Politics is making choices in scarcity and there’s always a lack of money and always too many priorities,” while noting that keeping citizens “safe” had to be a priority for governments.
The next NATO summit will be held in Mr Rutte’s native Netherlands in 2025.
