As NATO summits drew parallels on Thursday, there were signs that the contentious US presidential race was just getting started, as President Biden and former President Trump took the global matchup as an opportunity to bolster their campaigns. Started it.
Speaking with Brian Kilmeade on Fox News Radio, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg refused to give credit to just one person regarding the jump in GDP defense spending by NATO countries in 2024. 23 out of 32 associates have now received their 2% loyalty.
“Former President Trump had a very clear message that European allies have to pay more. This has been a consistent message from the US administration, and this message has had an impact,” Stoltenberg said during his interview on ‘The Brian Kilmeade Show.’ “
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg refused to get drawn into the President Biden-Donald Trump feud. (Getty Images)
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Trump and Biden have pointed to the record number of times NATO countries have met their GDP defense spending commitments, first promised in 2006, as key achievements of their respective presidencies.
Trump has been vocal in saying that he forced NATO allies to renege during his tenure.
The number of allies who met their spending commitments increased to nine in 2020, compared to five countries who met their commitments when they entered office in 2016. After his departure in 2021, this number dropped to six.
The biggest jump in NATO defense spending occurred this year when, for the first time, 23 of the 32 countries under the alliance met their spending agreements.
Trump supporters point to the war in Ukraine, not the Biden administration, as the main driving force behind this surge in European defense spending.
Canada, which has faced scrutiny for years for its apparent refusal to meet its defense spending commitments, announced Thursday it will finally meet its 2% spending pledge by 2032.
But it is unclear whether the entire alliance is actually satisfied with this promise, especially as smaller NATO countries not only have not met their agreements but also spent well over the 2% limit, including Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. All of which share borders with Russia. ,
The eight other countries that are behind their spending targets are Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Spain. Iceland is exempt from the 2% commitment because it has no standing army.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speak during a press conference at the NATO summit in Washington, DC on July 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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Many global officials expressed concern on this day that the loyalty of the 2% spending nearly twenty years ago no longer reflects the alliance’s true desires in the face of increasingly competitive authoritarian regimes such as Russia, China, Iran, and the United States. And North Korea.
“We must take a clear view of the challenges ahead, and yet not let fear waver us,” said the Lithuanian international minister. “We are at a turning point. The choices we will make now will affect the future of Ukraine, Europe and this alliance. will decide.” Gabrielius Landsbergis said Thursday. “The Ukrainian people clearly understand the existential nature of this war.”
“The rest of us – unfortunately – are still struggling with obstacles of our own making. We still need to change our peacetime mentality and ultimately make our spending on defense reflect the threat we face ”
In an interview with “US Reports” co-anchor John Roberts, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said, “I would really like to give Trump credit because I think he was right on the 2% limit. And, look, Of the allies, only three reached that level in 2018. Would it have happened if Trump had not pushed for it?
U.Ok. Defense Secretary John Healey, who was appointed a day earlier after a landslide election for the Labor Party, said the new leadership would work to increase NATO spending.
Healy U.O.K. “I think everyone will be encouraged by the fact that, for the first time, we’ve got 23 out of 32 countries meeting 2%. We’re moving towards 2.5%,” he said. Tide expenditure of Rs. “I think any assessment of the growing threats and global instability we face suggests that all NATO countries will need to do more than just 2%.”
On Thursday, Biden advocated alternative efforts to strengthen NATO, such as admitting Finland and Sweden into the alliance.
Biden said in relation to Trump, “Foreign policy has never been his strong point. And he seems to have an affinity for people who are authoritarian.”
Donald Trump challenged President Biden to a game of golf and vowed to donate $1 million to investments if he lost. (Getty Images)
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Speaking at an information conference after the NATO summit, Biden told newshounds, “I don’t want any of my European allies to come to me and say, ‘Joe, don’t run.’
“I pay attention to what they say, ‘You’re given to win. You’re not going to let this guy get ahead. He’s going to be an extremist. He’s going to be an extremist.'”
Pressed by Fox News about sentiment toward the US presidency among allies, Stoltenberg said, “NATO is the most successful alliance in history because we have been able to stay out of domestic politics.
“It is not NATO’s job to have any opinion about who will be elected the next President or Prime Minister of an ally country.”
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