NATO announces allies achieving defense target at an all-time high

According to Nato, a record number of 18 member countries are meeting the alliance's target of spending 2% of their economic output on defense this year. This is a significant increase from the 11 countries that met the target last year. Germany is set to meet the threshold for the first time in decades. Nato's announcement comes after former US President Donald Trump suggested that Russia should attack Nato members that were not spending enough on defense. The commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defense was made by Nato leaders in 2014 in response to Russia's actions in Ukraine. While Ukraine is not a member of Nato, its neighbors are, and Nato countries have pledged to defend each other in case of an attack. Estonia has already announced that its defense budget will exceed 3% of its economic output this year and it will provide military aid to Ukraine. Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the number of countries meeting the 2% target this year is a record and a six-fold increase from 2014. However, he also mentioned that some allies still have a way to go to meet the target. Stoltenberg emphasized that Nato is committed to protecting all of its members and that any suggestion otherwise undermines the security of all. He also highlighted that Nato has reinforced its collective defense since Russia's annexation of Crimea. The US and countries bordering Russia, such as Poland, spent the highest proportion of their national incomes on defense in 2023. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has heavily influenced defense spending in Western countries, and it is expected that seven more countries will meet the 2% target in 2024, including Germany.