Munich, Germany – February 15: Nato Secretary -General Mark Rutte Walks OutSide The Main Venue at the 61st Munich Security Conference on February 15, 2025 in Munich, Germany. International Defense and Security Leaders from Around the World are gathering for the February 14-16 conference. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
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Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte on Saturday Offered Some Blunt Advice to European Members of the Military Alliance in the face of a a a more confontational us: Stop Complacing and Present Solutions.
“Get into the debate, not by Complaining…. But by coming up with concrete ideas,” He Told the Munich Security Conference.
The Nato Chief also confirmed that the alliance would bring a new agrement for defense spending targets when members meet in June for a summit in the hague, Netherlands.
“It will be a number much more than 2%,” Rutte said, without providing more specific details.
Speaking on a Panel AlongSide Rutte, Us Senator Lindsey Graham Said That Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his offensive against Ukraine, Had Done Done Done More Than Any Nato Memeber to Galvanize Insreases.
“Putin has done more to help natural than we have,” He said, adding that the russian leader had made a “Serious Miscalculation.”
The thorny issue of Nato Defense Spending is a Key Part of Growing Division and Discomfort Between the US and Europe.
Trump’s Relationship With the Western Military Alliance Was Acrimonious DURINT HeS FIRSIDENCY, with the Republican Leader Frequent Lambasting Nato Member States Foring Abnding by a 2014 of gdp on defense every year.
Ahead of his second term in office, trump signals that debate over Military Spending-And Trump’s Perception that Nato Members are over-Relint on the US for their own second Aating that Nato’s 32 Member Countries Should Contribute even more Toward defense.
“I think Nato should have 5% (of their gdp as a natural target),” He said in January. “They can all afford it, but they should be at 5%, not 2%”, he said at a press conference in which He also refused to rule out using Military force to Seize The Panama Canal or Greenland – a territory that belongs to Nato Member Denmark.
There has been a broad increase in defense experture Among Nato Members Since Trump was last in power. In 2018, at the height of the white house leader’s irritation with the Military Block, only Six Member States Met the 2% of GDP TARGET.
By contrast, Nato Data Estimates that 23 Members Met the 2% Target In 2024. While some surpassed that threshold – Such as Poland, Estonia, The US, Latvia and Greece – Major Economic Powers Including Canada, Spain and Italy Are Among the Laggards Below the Constitution.
No Nato Member Has Reached A 5% Target Sugged by Trump, Including washington under the administration of his predacesor joe biden.
(Tagstotranslate) defense
