On Monday, a record 23 out of NATO’s 32 member nations are meeting the alliance’s defense spending target this year, announced by NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. This increase comes as Russia’s war in Ukraine heightens the risk of a broader conflict in Europe.
The new figure represents nearly a fourfold increase from 2021, when only six nations met the goal, prior to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
“Europeans are doing more for their collective security than just a few years ago,” Stoltenberg said during a Wilson Center research group speech.
Following the speech, Stoltenberg met with President Joe Biden at the White House. Biden praised the alliance’s growth and unity under Stoltenberg’s leadership: “The alliance has become larger, stronger, and more united than it’s ever been.”
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Biden expressed his admiration for Stoltenberg, calling him a “pal” and lamenting that Stoltenberg’s term as NATO’s secretary general, which began in 2014, is set to end in October. Biden added, “Together, we’ve deterred further Russian aggression in Europe and strengthened NATO’s eastern flank, making it clear that we’ll defend every single inch of NATO territory.”
Stoltenberg highlighted that NATO allies purchase more military equipment from the U.S., stating, “NATO is good for U.S. security, but NATO is also good for U.S. jobs.”
NATO members agreed last year to spend at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense, a surge in spending driven by concerns over the war in Ukraine.
