Source: CCTV news client
NATO member states held a meeting of defense ministers in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, from the 14th to the 15th. During the two-day meeting, NATO members discussed differences over increasing defense spending and providing support to Ukraine. On the 14th, the U.S. State Department and the NATO Secretary General once again urged member states to increase defense spending.
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US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller: We have made it clear, and NATO countries have also agreed, to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP. We will urge countries that have not yet reached this goal to continue to take steps to do so.
NATO Secretary-General: Some countries are still not up to standard
Before the NATO defense ministers' meeting on the 14th, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg also said again at a press conference that some countries still did not meet the target.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg: Some allies are still far from their defense spending targets, which we agreed at the NATO summit in Vilnius, that all allies should spend 2% of GDP on defense spending, and 2% is the minimum standard.
According to the U.S. News & World Report website, in 2023, only 11 NATO members, or 35%, have completed the standard of spending 2% of GDP on defense. Among them, the defense spending of major European member states such as Germany, France, Spain, and Italy has not reached the target. For years, the United States has been pressuring NATO allies to fulfill their commitments over defense spending, deepening the rift between the United States and its European allies.
Forcing Allies to "Reach the Standard" in Military Spending The United States has multiple schemes
What is the plot of the United States once again talking about defense spending?
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Wei Dongxu, Global Information Broadcast Reporter of the News Center of China Central Station: The main topic of the NATO defense ministers' meeting was "asking for money". In 2023, only 11 NATO member states will spend about 2% of GDP on their military. It can be said that the current secretary general of NATO is very dissatisfied. In fact, it is not that the secretary general of NATO is dissatisfied, but that the United States is very dissatisfied. According to the previous plan proposed by the NATO Secretary General, in 2024, at least 18 NATO member states will spend about 2% of GDP on their military spending, especially major European military powers such as Italy, Germany, and France. The United States has demanded that they further increase their military spending and strengthen the building of offensive combat capabilities.
Pressure allies to increase military spending U.S. arms dealers will make a lot of money
Wei Dongxu, Global Information Broadcast Reporter from the News Center of the Central Station: It is necessary to deploy more offensive combat units on NATO's eastern flank, and to buy more weapons and equipment from US arms dealers, such as F-35 stealth fighters and Patriot air defense and anti-missile systems. Once these NATO members aggressively increase their military allocations, they can make a lot of money for American arms dealers. So we see that now the Pentagon and the White House are using the Russia-Ukraine conflict to blackmail against its NATO allies. Deploy more offensive combat units and more offensive weapons and equipment on NATO's eastern flank to cooperate with the US troops stationed in Europe to deter Russia, carry out military blockade, and carry out strategic encirclement. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine was provoked by the United States in every possible way, and it can continue to infiltrate Europe at the technical level of defense and undermine the independence and integration of European defense.
Taking advantage of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the United States has taken the opportunity to strengthen its global hegemony
Wei Dongxu, Global Information Broadcast Reporter of the News Center of the Central Station: After the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Europe will be more obedient to the instructions of the United States at the level of defense and military industry, and at the level of military spending. In the process of building a system of global military hegemony, the United States is very dependent on the military strength and military resources of European countries, and it will also take advantage of such a conflict to do everything possible to grab more resources from its allies. This is also the most fundamental purpose and reason why the United States is unwilling to let the conflict between Russia and Ukraine subside, and is unwilling to see a ceasefire and shake hands between the two sides.