Luke Coffey
The issue of Europe not spending enough on defense has irked American policymakers for decades. The criticism peaked during President Donald Trump’s first term and it remains a contentious issue in his second one.
When Russia invaded Ukraine the first time, in 2014, only three NATO members — the US, the UK and Greece — met the alliance’s target for defense spending by members of 2 percent of gross domestic product. Fast forward more than a decade and 23 members now meet that goal. This is progress but several countries still fall short.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was supposed to be a wake-up call for Europe. Across the continent, leaders pledged to do more for their own defense. Commitments poured in to increase military spending, modernize armed forces, and arm Ukraine both with existing stockpiles and newly manufactured weapons. Some of these promises were fulfilled, others ignored or quietly forgotten. Yes, Europe is in a better place now in terms of defense spending but the work is far from finished.
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