NATO’s 15 largest European members would have to nearly double their annual military contributions to $720bn to offset potential reductions in US support under Donald Trump’s presidency, Bloomberg reported.
The additional spending would reportedly cover battle tanks, artillery and infantry fighting vehicles for ground forces, as well as supporting aircraft, including sub-hunters. However, military experts warned that such a massive rearmament could take over a decade after a prolonged period of underfunding.
To address the issue, defence ministers, joined by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, met in Brussels on Tuesday, 19 November.
However, the economic situation on the continent could worsen significantly amid the threat of new duties on European goods and an outflow of investment into Europe. Greece’s central bank governor, Yannis Stournaras, stated that Trump’s promised tariffs could potentially trigger recession and deflation in Europe.
The recent authorisation by incumbent US President Joe Biden for Ukraine to strike targets inside Russia also failed to unite Kyiv’s allies. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz Scholz made it clear that he was not going to reconsider his decision not to give Ukraine Taurus cruise missiles.
NATO’s expansion since the late 1990s, as well as the potential admission of Ukraine, threatened Russia’s national security, Russian officials said. However, the war in Ukraine only triggered further expansion of the military alliance, which admitted Finland in April 2023 and Sweden in March 2024.
Reacting to Biden’s recent move, Russia updated its nuclear doctrine, with President Vladimir Putin approving the document on Tuesday. Moscow has also boosted its military-industrial complex, becoming one of the leaders in military spending growth.
