DFor the first time in three decades, Germany has reported to NATO planned defense spending amounting to two percent of gross domestic product. According to research by the German Press Agency, the federal government submitted an amount for the current year that, when converted into comparative figures from the defense alliance, corresponds to a sum of 73.41 billion dollars. In absolute terms, this is a record value for Germany and, according to the current NATO forecast, would mean a GDP ratio of 2.01 percent.
In the past, according to documents from the NATO archives, Germany last spent two percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 1992. During the Cold War years the rate was usually over three percent.
The development of NATO countries' defense spending will be discussed this Thursday at a meeting of defense ministers at the alliance headquarters in Brussels. About 20 of the 31 NATO countries are expected to reach the two percent target this year.
“Stupid, shameful, un-American”
His successor Joe Biden sharply criticized former US President Donald Trump's recent statements about the defense alliance. “For God's sake, that's stupid, that's shameful, that's dangerous, that's un-American,” Biden said on Tuesday about Trump's announcement that he would not provide protection from Russia to NATO partners who do not meet their financial obligations. “No other president in history has ever bowed to a Russian dictator,” criticized Biden. “I will never do that.”
Trump, who wants to challenge Biden in the next presidential election in November and run for the Republicans again, said during a campaign appearance at the weekend that the “president of a great country” once asked him whether the USA would still protect this country from Russia would if it did not pay defense spending. He replied: “No, I wouldn't protect you.” In fact, he would “even encourage Russia to do whatever the hell they want.”
“Protection money demands”
Biden had already sharply criticized the statement over the weekend, but has now followed up. “Can you imagine a former president of the United States saying that? The whole world heard it,” the Democrat said. “The worst thing about it is that he is serious.” For Trump, principles don’t matter, Biden complained. “When he looks at NATO, he doesn’t see the alliance that protects America and the world.” Instead, Trump sees the alliance as a burden or as a means for protection money demands.
As a defense alliance, NATO relies on the principle of deterrence and Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty is particularly relevant to this. It regulates the obligation of assistance in the alliance and states that an armed attack against one or more allies is viewed as an attack against all.
Biden recalled that this alliance case had only been triggered once in the history of NATO – and that was in support of America, after the terrorist attacks against the USA on September 11, 2001. The Democrat also emphasized once again that he stood by the obligation to provide assistance. and as long as he was president, the United States would defend every inch of NATO territory.
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