Donald Trump created a wave of indignation by declaring that he encouraged Russia to attack NATO member countries which do not reach the target of 2% of GDP in military spending.
Trump loves to be talked about. For good or bad, as long as we talk about him. This is the very essence of advertising.
An advertisement that is disastrous for NATO allied countries and for the United States itself.
An advertisement that is very far from the truth.
But Trump doesn’t care about the truth.
This truth is that NATO members decided, in 2014, to increase their military spending so that in 2025, it would reach 2% of the GDP of each country.
- Listen to international politics expert Loïc Tassé on Benoit Dutrizac’s show via QUB :
Almost 2%
While in 2014, only 4 NATO member countries reached or exceeded this 2%, in 2023, there were 11 to achieve this. Among them, Poland, the United States, the Baltic countries, Romania, Hungary and the United Kingdom.
Rounding up, 6 other countries, including France and Bulgaria, are almost there, with between 1.8% and 1.9% of their GDP in military spending. Germany, Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands spend between 1.6 and 1.7% of their GDP on military purchases.
Among the remaining 9 countries are Canada (1.4%), Spain (1.3%), Italy (1.5%) and Turkey (1.3%). Are these countries the dunces of the class? Not so much when you look at gross military spending.
Italy is at 12e world ranking, with 33 billion US dollars in military spending. Canada arrives in 14e position (27 billion), followed by Spain in 15e position (20 billion) and Turkey in 23e position (11 billion).
Most NATO countries are therefore on track to reach the threshold of 2% of military spending in 2025. The majority of whom this is not the case still incur significant military spending, although they do not live up to his wealth.
Photo AFP
For the benefit of the United States
But there is something else. Trump forgets to say that the United States is the largest arms exporter. Any increase in the military budget of NATO countries greatly benefits the American military industry.
No other NATO country has such a significant advantage in this regard.
Not only does Trump not know the most recent figures on military investment, but he also does not weigh them with their economic repercussions.
On the other hand, Trump, by suggesting that under his presidency the United States would not defend certain NATO countries, has just powerfully helped the European military industry.
At the same time, it has also frightened the allies of the United States, even if Washington is bound by treaties that cannot be denounced overnight.
China and Russia should really rejoice.
