How about "HELL NO"! Plus the Euros cheat like hell on what they call defense spending. If France and Germany want a seat at the table they need pay their fair share to host the damn thing. Cut a deal with Putin and then gracefully decline the next invite and stop providing the main course while Germany brings their box of Walmart cookies.
https://www.flightglobal.com/defenc...annual-outlay-tops-13-trillion/162754.article
NATO nations boosted their collective spending on defence by around $120 billion in 2024 from the previous year, with the 32-strong alliance’s total outlay estimated to have been around $1.3 trillion.
Detailing individual nations’ contributions in its secretary general’s annual report, published on 24 April, NATO says: “European members and Canada invested a total of $486 billion in defence last year: a 19.4% increase in real terms.”
The commitment from Washington, DC was worth $818 billion, or 64% of spending, according to the alliance’s calculations, which were made using 2021 prices and exchange rates. This markedly exceeded the USA’s 53% share of the members’ combined gross domestic product (GDP).
In 2024, 22 allies met a mutually-agreed guideline of spending at least 2% of their national GDP on defence. NATO notes that only three of its then-members achieved that in 2014.
Nine nations fell below the benchmark last year, with shortfalls ranging from Montenegro spending 1.88%, Italy 1.5% and Canada 1.45%, to last-ranked Spain, at 1.24%. Iceland is excluded from the annual spending assessment, as it has no armed forces.
The biggest spender last year as measured against GDP was Poland, with an estimated 4.07% of GDP, with the USA and Baltic states Estonia, Lativa and Lithuania all exceeding 3%.
The alliance’s two most recent additions, Finland and Sweden, both bettered the minimum spending target last year, with respective figures of 2.3% and 2.25% of GDP. Stockholm recently detailed a plan to further boost its commitment to defence spending, to 3.5% by 2030.
Referring to the overall increased allocation from members excluding the USA, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte notes: “These allies are taking on greater responsibility for the defence and security of the Euro-Atlantic area.”
However, he cautions: “We need to dramatically accelerate these efforts in 2025. European allies and Canada must make a quantum leap when it comes to the contributions and capabilities they bring to bear. To do so, it will be essential to invest substantially more.”
