Ahead Of Summit: NATO Allies Defend Their Military Spending In the Face of President Trump's Criticism

[Petar + 76]

NATO allies are pushing back against U.S. criticism that they are not spending enough on defense as President Donald Trump ratchets up pressure ahead of a summit next week. In the weeks leading up to NATO’s July 11-12 summit in Brussels, Trump sent letters to the governments of Norway, other European allies and Canada demanding that they boost their defense spending. After Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, NATO allies agreed to stop cutting defense budgets, to start spending more as their economies grew and to move toward a goal of devoting 2 percent of GDP to defense within a decade. In an email  to The Associated Press, Norwegian Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen said “Norway stands by its decision of the NATO Summit in 2014 and is following up on this.” In Germany, “we stand by the 2 percent goal we’ve set,” Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said. “We’re on the path there. And we’re prepared … to take substantial responsibility within the alliance,” she added. The upcoming NATO summit is the first major meeting since the fractious Group of Seven talks in Canada last month. NATO officials are concerned that trans-Atlantic divisions over trade tariffs, as well as the U.S. pullout from the Paris global climate agreement and the Iran nuclear deal, could undermine alliance unity.

[jpZelabal + 63]

To what avail of arming, military forces....Too tired of potential wars,threats....

[ThunderBlade + 231]

In the meantime, Russia has annexed Crimea and NATO was like a random passerby....  

[damirUSBiH + 327]

To the upcoming Helsinki summit, the U.S. must stand firmly with NATO allies and confirm transatlantic partnership. It's a only way to stay stronger. Doing otherwise strengthens Putin and undermines democratic values.

[Pavel + 384]

Let me to be clear. I would be happy to vote for more NATO collective defense, holding gvt to 2% GDP defense spending, more EU integration, and more security and defense oriented collaboration between EU and NATO institutions. That's the strongest bulwark against dangerous challenges..

[franco + 96]

Summit of allies is more important than summit with KJU or Putin...It could be a new way and approach against common "enemies". NATO has a chance to confirm itself  just on this principle

[pinto + 293]

How about an adult approach to the problem. Define the problem and sit down with stakeholders and formulate a solution with built-in consequences for failure to conform to agreements. Stop with this hard speech, blackmail, etc... Let's say literally:  this is not a grade school playground.

[Petar + 76]

What about Turkey cooperation with Russia? They will buy russians S400 .... "The U.S. will take the unprecedented step of imposing sanctions on a NATO ally when Turkey receives a Russian missile defense system, according to a State Department official testifying before Congress." I have the feeling that NATO is getting weaker.

[Epic + 390]

5 hours ago, pinto said:

How about an adult approach to the problem. Define the problem and sit down with stakeholders and formulate a solution with built-in consequences for failure to conform to agreements. Stop with this hard speech, blackmail, etc... Let's say literally:  this is not a grade school playground.

You are assuming that politicians are willing and able to act like adults.  In this particular case, I believe your assumption is likely to be false. 

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

Here is the real problem:  Russia.  

Russia has no compunction about gobbling up neighbors and territory in Putin's ambition to create a Greater Russia, an Empire using the countries of the old USSR as its basis. Putin has this internal grind of stone against steel, you can hear it scraping inside him, his anger and fury at seeing Great Russia reduced to a has-been.  He is bound and determined to stop at nothing to re-create the RUssian Empire.  And the first step on that road is the take-over of Ukraine. 

I predict Putin will foment some internal disturbance, using both Russian subversives imported for the purpose, and ethnic Russian Ukrainians, to stage violent fights with the police and the army, then move in Russian troops to "save our brother Slavs" because Ukrainians and Russians "are brothers" and there is only one great "Slavic Nation - Russia."   

And it goes from there.  Other countries with large ethnic Russian populations, forcibly moved in by Stalin and successors to Russianize the  land, include Latvia and Estonia.  And don't think that Poland escapes the annexation, that is on the list.  

As the Borg would say on Star Trek:  "You will be absorbed.  Resistance is futile."

Now: Question:  Do you want to live like the Borg?

Edited July 4, 2018 by Jan van Eck

[ronwagn + 6,290]

Nato has lived off of American charity since WW2 and has never kept up. TIme to cut our expenses to 2% an equivalent of what they spend in Europe. Not elsewhere, just in countries that don't pay their share. 

[Qanoil + 116]

On 7/5/2018 at 6:41 AM, Jan van Eck said:

Here is the real problem:  Russia.  

No.  Wrong target.

No Need For Nato

Russia does have disproportionate military power for its size – but not that much. Russia’s defence spending is one sixth that of NATO defence spending, though it is slightly more efficient because, despite corruption, less of Russia’s defence spending goes into the pockets of arms company shareholders, lobbyists, politicians and other fatcats than happens in the West. But that cannot outweigh Russia’s massive economic disadvantage. Nothing can. Russia is very well placed to defend itself, but in no position to attack major powers.

      ...

The threat of a Russian attack on NATO itself is non-existent. The EU is not officially a military alliance but the idea that any part of EU territory could be subject to invasion without the rest of the EU reacting is a political impossibility. It is very plain that Vladimir Putin’s policy is to reincorporate into Russia those bordering pockets of ethnic Russians in former Soviet states. But this has been approached piecemeal and avoiding major confrontation. There is no practical threat to the Baltic states whose security is already de facto guaranteed by EU membership.

So NATO’s role of defence against Russia is otiose, and its wider military adventures have been a total disaster.

[ronwagn + 6,290]

I am no expert but I believe that strength is the only way to be sure that the Russian Bear does not work with the same tactics it has used in Georgia, Ukraine and elsewhere. Regardless of the level of strength needed we should be paying less than the Europeans. A smaller percentage since we are defending their homelands. The reverse has been the case, at least since WW2. 

[Tomasz + 1,608]

Bad Russia will spend huge 50 bilions on military budget this year. . USA will spend only tiny 712 bilions. 

[Tomasz + 1,608]

You say that NATO is alliance of values. Really think so? So what about Poland Hungary and Turkey?  Dont forget also about  war criminals from Kosovo where NATO intervened so now USA has there biggest military base in Europe. And for example Bulgaria a mafia state that sold huge amount of post-soviet weapons for ISIS with blessing of prime minister Borysov. And I could add much more about what this alliance of values really looks like.

Edited July 9, 2018 by Tomasz