NATO chief touts record defense spending, pushes back on Trump’s remarks

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that alliance members have increased defense spending in record numbers and pushed back against former President Trump, who last week suggested he would allow an attack on European nations that didn’t spend enough.

Stoltenberg said European allies and Canada increased defense spending by 11 percent last year, and 18 alliance members are on track to meet the goal of spending 2 percent of economic output on security needs.

That’s a major step up from 2014, when only three members met the 2 percent goal and when the alliance pledged all members would have to meet the minimum target, Stoltenberg noted.

“We are making real progress,” the NATO chief said in a press conference. “European allies are spending more.”

Stoltenberg also touted the 75-year history of NATO as an effective security alliance because allies have always vowed to defend each other, contrasting that with Trump, who suggested at a weekend campaign rally that he would let Russia attack allies who were “delinquent” contributors.

“Any suggestion that we are not standing up for each other, that we are not going to protect each other, that does undermine the security of all of us,” Stoltenberg said. “It is so important that [we] … communicate clearly that we stand by NATO’s commitment to protect and defend all allies.”

Trump has received heavy criticism for his NATO remarks, which sparked fear across the alliance and Europe. President Biden said Tuesday that Trump had “bowed” to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and called the former president’s comments “dumb.”

During his presidency, Trump warmed up to Putin and was often critical of NATO because allies have not reached the target spending goals. But as he sews up the GOP nomination, a potential second presidency has spurred concern he will diminish NATO’s power in Europe.

While spending has weakened across the alliance outside of the U.S., Stoltenberg said NATO allies are taking efforts to address those concerns. He also emphasized it was important for the U.S. to have the support of a strong alliance.

“It is in the national security interest of the United States to keep NATO strong,” he said. “Through NATO, the United States has something no other [major power has] and that is more than 30 friends and Allies in NATO. And that makes the United States stronger and safer.”