The request of American senators to evaluate the level of defense spending of NATO members

U.S. Republican senators in a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, asked him to inform them by April 25th whether the NATO members have covered their defense costs or not, and from the members who have enough responsibilities. They do not defend themselves, they asked to be held accountable.

In the letter, a copy of which was published by Politico, it was reported that 21 senators approached Lloyd Austin to find out whether the Pentagon evaluates the level of defense spending of NATO members and that NATO members contribute at least 2 percent of GDP. Do they allocate their internal resources for the expenses of this coalition or not? Lawmakers are concerned that only 11 out of 32 countries will fulfill their commitments, and based on optimistic estimates, only 18 countries will fulfill their commitments this year.

The letter reads in part: “If other NATO members are unwilling or unable to do so, the United States cannot be expected to meet its financial obligations. Our administration must hold these allies accountable. Therefore, we We will receive updated information on NATO member cost assessments by April 25 at the latest.

According to these senators, NATO is not a charitable organization, but a military alliance, and all NATO members should bear a significant share of the collective defense burden.

Earlier, NATO asked its members to spend at least 2% of their GDP on military spending. An action that most European countries refuse to do. In 2019, Germany spent only 1.4% of its GDP on military spending, and this became an excuse for the former US president to reduce the number of troops in this country.