NATO hits all-time high of 20 countries meeting 2% defense spending rule
WASHINGTON – More than half of NATO’s 32 member nations are spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product on military improvements — the most since the guideline was established a decade ago, the alliance’s leader announced Monday.
“Just five years ago, there was still just nine allies that spent 2% of GDP on defense,” Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during an event at the Wilson Center in DC. “But … this year, more than 20 allies spent at least 2% of GDP.”
The so-called “2% rule” serves as a spending recommendation for members of the Atlantic security alliance, whose charter states that if one member nation is attacked, all the others will come to its aid.
At the time the guideline took effect in 2014, just three nations – the US, Greece and the United Kingdom – met the threshold.
The improved numbers are due to a jump in European defense spending following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In 2021, NATO records showed, just 10 of the alliance’s 30 members had reached the 2% benchmark. (Finland and Sweden have since joined NATO to bring the membership to 32.)
President Biden took credit for the increase following a meeting with Stoltenberg at the White House ahead of next month’s NATO leaders summit in the nation’s capital — apparently ignoring the impact of the large-scale military conflict in Eastern Europe.
“The number has more than doubled since we took office, since I took office, and we look forward to building on all of this progress next month when we have our 75th meeting here in Washington,” he said.
In all, Stoltenberg said, NATO allies in Europe will invest a combined $380 billion in defense this year, more than one-third of what the US – which has a much higher GDP – is expected to spend.
The US defense industry and economy will also benefit from the increased European outlay, Stoltenberg said, having already raked in billions through Congress’ own spending on military aid packages for Ukraine.
“This is good for Europe, and good for America – especially since much of NATO creates a market for the defense space,” Stoltenberg said. “Over the last two years, more than two-thirds of European defense acquisitions [spent] more than $40 billion worth of contracts for US defense companies.”
The US is expected to spend about 2.7% of its GDP on defense this year, which translates to roughly $916 billion.
However, that expenditure has raised some questions among both Republicans and Democrats, with some in the GOP arguing that Europe should contribute more to its defense, and several Democrats opposing military spending on principle.
In February, presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump told a rally crowd in Conway, SC that he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO member countries who have not spent the required 2%.
“You didn’t pay? You’re delinquent?” … No, I would not protect you,” Trump said. “… You gotta pay. You gotta pay your bills.”
Trump in a later interview added the US would “100%” come to the defense of its NATO allies – provided the other 31 countries “pay up”.
Still, a slim majority of Americans (52%) said they would support the US helping NATO countries that have not met the 2% prescription, according to a new Ronald Reagan Institute survey.