
NATO’s Make-Believe Spending Goal
It would be surprising if even half of the European NATO members could expand defense spending as much as the alliance requires.

It would be surprising if even half of the European NATO members could expand defense spending as much as the alliance requires.

Rising defense spending will cause fiscal fights in many NATO countries. In Spain, the tension between social benefits and military outlays is perhaps more pointed than anywhere else.

‘It’s a big problem, and the other NATO leaders will have to confront Spain on this today,’ the U.S. Secretary of State said.

Officials have been accused of “smoke and mirrors” to claim they are ‘reaching’ NATO’s target.
In a break with decades of fiscal orthodoxy, Germany will fund its largest defence buildup in generations through debt.

Under pressure from his fragile left-wing coalition, Pedro Sánchez says he won’t meet NATO’s defence target. But NATO says he will—eventually.

As many EU states still feel the burn from 2022’s inflation peak, new policies risk reigniting the fire.
Rutte warned that Russia could be ready to attack NATO countries “in five years.”
Europe’s largest economy is already trailing its 2018 troop targets, raising concerns as the country now faces pressure to significantly boost its active-duty forces.
Corruption and inefficiency in aid programs means it’s “not solidarity, but waste,” they said.