The debate about the contribution to collective defense has flared up again in the North Atlantic Alliance, particularly among European countries. The re-elected American president, Donald Trump, has sent a clear message that American soldiers and weapons will not be saving the world. Europe must take responsibility for its own security – ideally by significantly increasing investments in the defense industry. One-third of the member countries still do not meet the current alliance requirement of 2% of GDP.

Key takeaways:

• NATO has reopened discussion on how much individual countries should contribute to defense. US President Donald Trump is proposing 5% of GDP, but alliance leaders are proposing up to three percent.
• Countries are currently required to allocate 2% of GDP to defense, which was met by 23 states last year, including the Czech Republic.
• Last year, Poland, along with other Baltic and Nordic countries (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland), invested the most in defense. The USA is third in this “ranking.”

Policy Brief –Irena Krcháková

The analysis is in PDF under the link below.