Seven of NATO’s 30 countries met 2022 spending targets

Only seven of the 30 allies of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) met the target of spending in the military sector of 2% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2022, announced this Tuesday (21) the secretary general of the Alliance Atlântica, Jens Stoltenberg. The number is below that recorded in 2021, before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, when eight member countries complied with the agreement. “As the GDP increased more than expected for some allies, two of them that should have reached 2% are now slightly below”, explained the leader of the organization at a press conference in Brussels, where he presented NATO’s annual report. Stoltenberg used the occasion to urge alliance members to quickly increase military spending. “There is no doubt that we need to do more and faster,” he stressed. “The pace we have for increasing defense spending is not high enough. In a more dangerous world, we need to invest more.” The goal of investing 2% of GDP in defense in a decade was agreed during a NATO summit in 2014, with only one year left for member countries to meet the goal. At the time, the decision was taken thanks to the actions of Russia, which months before had annexed the Crimean peninsula, raising fears in Europe. Now, nearly 10 years after that deal and more than a year after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, NATO allies have been wrangling over how to adapt that spending target. In July, during the next summit of the organization, there should be news on the subject. Jens Stoltenberg has already anticipated that the target of 2% of GDP should, in the future, become the minimum, instead of a maximum ceiling. Warning to China At this Tuesday’s press conference, the NATO secretary general also warned China about being against arms supplies to Russia. The warning comes as Presidents Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin meet in Moscow to strengthen their strategic relations. “So far we do not have any proof that China has delivered lethal weapons to Russia, but we have seen some signs that Russia has made such a request and that the matter is being considered by Chinese authorities,” Stoltenberg said. “China must not provide Russia with lethal aid, as that would mean supporting an illegal war,” he insisted. Stoltenberg also considered that Beijing must dialogue “directly” with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, if he wants his peace plan – presented last month – to be taken seriously. “It is up to Ukraine to decide what are the acceptable conditions for any peaceful solution”, recalled the NATO secretary general, adding that “China must understand Kiev’s point of view. “Any peaceful solution for Ukraine must be based on respecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.” “A ceasefire or any solution that does not respect these points will only be a way to freeze the war and allow Russia to rebuild its forces and attack again. It will not be a just and lasting peace,” added Stoltenberg. *Reproduction of this content is prohibited.

Agência Brasil