NATO Chief Says Europe Is Making Rapid Progress Boosting Defense Spending

Many European members of NATO are well on their way to meet a commitment to invest five percent of their yearly gross domestic product in defense spending, the alliance’s secretary general, Mark Rutte, said in advance of a summit to be held in Ankara, Turkey on Tuesday. Mr. Rutte says European allies and Canada are on a trajectory to match America’s defense spending in the organization, and will report on their contributions during the annual meeting of 32 alliance members. “I expect nations to present clear, concrete, and credible plans to reach that give percent goal and the evidence we see so far is impressive,” Mr. Rutte told reporters Monday at Ankara, Turkey, in prepared remarks. “After years of underinvestment, we are producing real capabilities.”Mr. Rutte says the alliance needs a “rebalancing” because NATO members have become too dependent on America. “It is not sustainable that we ask a country with 350 million people living eight hours flying from here to defend against the Russians, with 600 million people living in this part of NATO territory, the richest part of the world being so overly dependent on the United States,” Mr. Rutte said.Some allies have already bumped up defense spending to around four percent of their GDP in defense and security, Mr. Rutte noted, adding that is a 20 percent increase in funding in just the past year. This includes major increases to allies’ investments in core defense, as well as their defense and security related investments. “We are in really good shape and massively the Europeans are stepping up. Look at countries like Germany and so many others. And, of course, if one or two (are) still to be convinced, we have ways to do that,” Mr. Rutte said without elaborating about who the holdouts may be.Among those increasing defense spending is Canada. Prime Minister Mark Carney is set to announce a contract winner for a multibillion dollar program to build a new fleet of submarines for the Canadian navy. Mr. Carney is expected to highlight the new submarine commitment at the Ankara meeting.Several Canadian outlets reported that Mr. Carney will name a German shipbuilding company as the recipient of the deal, pushing the two NATO partners into a closer economic relationship. A South Korean firm was the other finalist for the bid.The American ambassador to NATO, Matt Whitaker, says the president is ready for a report card to see where allied commitments are turning into real capabilities. Mr. Trump, who was scheduled to leave Washington on Monday evening for the summit, has frequently complained about the alliance and has threatened to pull America out of NATO, claiming its European members never come to America’s aid when needed. Mr. Trump has continued criticism of NATO in the past several days.Congress is sending a bipartisan delegation to the summit as a counter to the president and to show support for the alliance. The co-chairwoman of the Senate NATO Observer Group, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, will participate in the NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum and the delegation will meet with heads of state of several alliance members.Ukraine is also going to be a big topic of discussion at the meeting as Russia heaves deadly drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities. Ukraine’s President, Volodymyr Zelensky, said Monday that the latest strike on Kyiv and its surroundings included 68 missiles, many ballistic, and more than 350 drones of various types. Ukraine was able to intercept 92 percent of Iranian-made Shahed missiles fired by Russia as well as a substantial number of cruise missiles, but 22 people were killed and at least 90 injured. “Once again, Putin ‘vanquished’ ordinary residential buildings,” the Ukrainian president said. “Russia’s tactics remain unchanged: to inflict as much pain and damage as possible on Ukrainians and on Ukraine.”“NATO partners must continue to ensure Ukraine gets what it needs,” Mr. Rutte said.Mr. Trump is expected to meet Wednesday with Mr. Zelensky at the summit. Mr. Zelensky is seeking licensing to produce defensive Patriot missiles at home. European allies are trying to convince Mr. Trump to boost assistance to Ukraine, which Mr. Rutte described as changing the dynamics on the battlefield due to the ingenuity of its armed forces and use of drones. “And let me be clear,” he added, “all allies need to pull their weight so that our support to Ukraine continues to flow because Ukraine’s security is so closely linked with our own.”

NATO Chief Says Europe Is Making Rapid Progress Boosting Defense Spending

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