The United States of America wants to obtain a clear plan from the North Atlantic Alliance regarding an increase in defense budgets to 5% of production volume. This was stated by the permanent representative of the United States to NATO, Matthew Whitaker. Special attention in the strategy should be paid to the development of "hard defense capabilities." This is written by Bloomberg, reports UNN.
Details
It is noted that the permanent representative of the United States to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, called on the alliance to develop specific measures to achieve the target defense spending of 5% of production volume, with an emphasis on "hard defense capabilities."
"We need something different" from the promise agreed at the Wales Summit in 2014, "where everyone agreed to spend 2% of GDP on defense," Whitaker said in an interview with Bloomberg Television on Thursday, May 22.
We need clear steps to achieve this goal, and at the same time we need to make sure that all our allies understand that it should be primarily about hard defense capabilities.
According to the publication, NATO leaders are expected to sign a new spending plan at their summit, which includes proposals to allocate 3.5% of GDP to core defense and 1.5% to defense-related areas by 2032.
As Bloomberg writes, the unstable prospects for ending the war in Ukraine are prompting European countries to increase their military potential.
Let us remind you
NATO negotiators are seeking to reach 5% of GDP on defense by 2032 to mitigate Trump's demands. Ministers will discuss this in Antalya amid efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte proposed that members of the alliance increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP. An additional 1.5% will go to broader security-related expenses.