NATO considers raising defense spending to counter Russia
The proposal to increase NATO defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP emerged as a potential compromise to Donald Trump's demand that Alliance members allocate 5 percent of GDP for this purpose. Experts believe this step could significantly strengthen NATO.
NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, proposed that member states boost defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP and dedicate an additional 1.5 percent of GDP to other security-related expenses, reported Reuters on May 2.
According to Jakub Palowski, deputy editor-in-chief of the portal defence24.pl and an expert on military modernization, such a step would be "a big leap and a change in the face of NATO."
In a conversation with "Fakt," he emphasized that while reaching the level of 5 percent spending on strictly military purposes is unrealistic for many countries, Rutte's proposal is an interesting compromise.
"The planned proposal of spending 3.5 percent on strictly military purposes and 1.5 percent on other defense-related objectives is intriguing. Considering the position of key European NATO countries, including those in Western Europe, and their industrial and technological potential, it’s noteworthy," underscores Palowski.
The current defense spending threshold in NATO countries is set at 2 percent of GDP, established in 2014. Poland, along with Estonia, the USA, Latvia, and Greece, is among the countries that spend the most relative to GDP.
"Countries located near Russia must reckon with having to spend even more. The question is whether the Trump administration would accept this model as a general goal for NATO countries. I would support it," emphasizes Jakub Palowski.
Will Russia be intimidated by NATO?
In the context of the growing threat from Russia, which is increasing its military spending, Rutte's proposal gains particular significance.
Russia currently spends 6 percent of its GDP on military expenses, a significant increase compared to the period before the war in Ukraine.
Moreover, the "WSJ" newspaper wrote that Russian military experts describe what is happening at the border with Finland as part of preparations for a potential war with NATO.
"When the troops return (from the war in Ukraine - editor), they will be looking across the border at a country they consider an adversary," said Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, a Moscow defense think tank, to the American newspaper.
