NATO Chief Says Europe Meeting Defense Target After Trump Criticism

Published on February 14, 2024

NATO said on Feb. 14 that Europe was meeting an alliance spending target and the United States needed allies. NATO’s statement followed earlier remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump, wherein he suggested that Washington might not protect countries that did not spend enough. NATO’s European states are poised to invest a combined total of $380 billion in defense this year. This will amount to spending an estimated 2 percent of GDP in 2024 as a whole, marking a 0.15 percent increase from the previous year, according to NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. The former president staunchly remarked on Feb. 10 that any NATO allies who did not spend enough should inadvertently be at Russia’s mercy in the event of a conflict, implying that non-payment should result in a lack of protection....

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