Posted:
14.11.2024 15:39:00
NATO may change its financing principle
In his interview with Newsweek, NATO Military Committee Chief Admiral Rob Bauer said the North Atlantic Treaty countries may revise the principles of their alliance’s financing, replacing the current 2 percent of GDP requirement with fixed amounts needed to achieve specific goals, TASS reports
The Dutch admiral called criticisms aimed by the elected US President Donald Trump at NATO countries that were falling short of the assigned 2 percent target ‘fair’, adding that they had propelled more countries to hit the required mark.
"In many ways, we can say to him [Trump]: 'Welcome back, Mr. President, and, basically, a lot of nations have listened to you and have understood the message, and are now investing in their own defence, which is what everybody should do'," Bauer said.
The Military Committee Chief also expressed hope that the option to leave NATO will not be on the table once Trump is back in the White House. "That was a theme for a while, but I don't think that is the case anymore," he added.
“There’s still work to be done […] It will not necessarily be easy for a lot of nations to have a discussion in their own nation about spending more than now a minimum of 2 percent," said the admiral. According to him, NATO countries have so far lacked the money and the time needed to radically change the situation. However, some alliance members may move away from just spending 2 percent on defence, and look more at ‘paying the amount of money that is necessary to be able to achieve everything we have agreed to’.
At the general election on November 5th in the US, Donald Trump beat the Democratic candidate, Kamala Harris. The Republican Party was also able to gain control of the Senate. Trump’s inauguration is scheduled for January 20th, 2025. Earlier, the President elect has repeatedly been critical of NATO and threatened to pull the US out of the alliance if its European members continue flaunting their financial obligations taken to ensure their own security.
