NATO Chief: 'Unprecedented Rise' in Member Defense Spending

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The Facts

  • NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg on Wednesday – the eve of a meeting of NATO defense ministers in Brussels – said the organization has seen an "unprecedented rise" in defense spending among its member countries.

  • Stoltenberg was responding to comments made by former US Pres. Donald Trump, who on Saturday warned he would allow Russia to attack NATO members who are "delinquent" in spending 2% of their GDPs on defense.

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The Spin

Pro-Trump narrative

NATO is obviously waking up to the fact that a second Trump presidency is in the offing. The alliance's members are preparing to increase their spending, just as they did when Trump first took office and put them on notice. Under Trump, the US isn't going to protect any country who's not sufficiently invested in its own security and the protection of its allies.

Daily Caller

Anti-Trump narrative

There are almost too many inaccuracies in Trump's understanding of NATO to break them all down. But a full two years before Trump took office, NATO decided that 2% of GDP would be a goal for defense spending, and it would be strived for over time. Countries who aren't meeting the goal aren't costing the US money. NATO isn't a protection racket, it's an alliance.

Huffington Post

Metaculus Prediction