NATO Chief urges increase in Defence Spending
http://euobserver.com/defence/118914 NATO chief discussed the urgent necessity of an increase in spending from EU countries in order to work efficiently and in a pragmatic manner with their North American allies. In the past five years, the US went from accounting 68% in defense spending to 72% recently in 2012. Relative to my practice country, the article also states that Portugal reduced its spending on military equipment by nearly 60% in addition to withdrawal of military programs. Amidst economic difficulty and anxiety, NATO is urging its EU members to step up and serve a little bit more on their plate in order to maintain a worthwhile political relationship of solidarity with the United States.
While the spending disparity is noteworthy, and concerning, perhaps a deeper understanding of the economic conditions leading to the issue are worth examining... many states within the EU have witnessed increasing economic problems in recent years, and in the United States, while we have upheld (and far surpassed) our NATO spending goals, we are facing severe sequestration measures that may put a damper on our own military spending abilities.
ReplyDeleteAlso, membership of NATO provides security for its member states as NATO is a security/ military alliance. New members most likely feel more secure joining NATO because it is a security/ military alliance which would contribute as well to a decrease in military funding. But NATO is justified in asking EU members of NATO to contribute more to military and defense spending, considering that many of NATO members reside on the same continent. But current economic problems need to be considered as well.
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