Days after Trump warning, NATO says 18 of 31 members to hit defence spending target in 2024

18 of the 31 members of NATO are expected to reach the defense spending goal of two percent of GDP by 2024, Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday.

Following Donald Trump’s shocking statement that he would “encourage” Russia to attack members who were not fulfilling their obligations, the new estimates were released.

According to the secretary general of NATO, there are now significantly more states reaching the target than there were last year—11 versus 23.

“That is another record number and a six-fold increase from 2014 when only three allies met the target,” Stoltenberg stated.

Overall European allies and Canada will have added more than $600 billion to their defence spending since they set the two-percent target a decade ago, he said.

Spurred on by Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022, last year saw an “unprecedented rise” of 11 percent of spending by European members and Canada, the NATO chief added.

Stoltenberg reiterated a warning to Trump not to “undermine” NATO’s collective security guarantee that all allies will help defend any member attacked.

“We should leave no room for miscalculation or misunderstanding in Moscow, about our readiness and our commitment, our resolve to protect allies,” he said

With inputs from AFP