This year, a record 18 NATO member states intend to reach the pledged defence spending of at least 2% of their GDP, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said.
According to him, this is a significant progress: a year ago, there were only 11 such countries. In total, there are 31 countries in NATO.
Among the large countries, Germany is set to reach this threshold for the first time in decades.
This country has been cautious about military spending in recent decades, keeping in mind the legacy of World War II, but the situation is changing: in 2024, Berlin will spend more than €68 billion on defence.
NATO's statement came after Donald Trump, one of the most likely candidates in this year's US presidential election, said in a speech to his supporters that he would not defend NATO allies who do not meet their financial obligations and, indeed, would "encourage" Russia to attack them.
This threat should not be taken literally, but Trump's statement has caused widespread outrage and wariness in Europe.
Amid growing security concerns in Europe, even Switzerland, a traditionally neutral country that is not part of any military alliances, has decided to dramatically increase military spending over the coming years.
According to the Guardian, the country plans to spend more than $22 billion on defence by 2035.
Background. Earlier, Stoltenberg said that "we have decades of confrontation with Moscow ahead of us". If Putin wins in Ukraine, there are no guarantees that Russian aggression will not spread further, he stressed.