Lithuanian Foreign Minister advocates for nations within NATO to raise their military spending to twice the established goal.
Kickin' It with Kestutis Budrys:
Hey there! Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys is sounding the alarm, urging NATO bigwigs to double, or even quadruple, the defense spending target at the upcoming summit this summer.
"We gotta invest more to get the results we need," the diplomat declared at the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Brussels, makin' no bones about it. "If we wanna keep NATO a powerhouse of defense, Europe needs to double its defense funding."
According to Budrys, Lithuania's been already puttin' in work, increasin' defense spending tenfold over the past decade. That's a whole lotta euros, he's sayin'.
Last July, NATO leaders were happy to see more than two-thirds of allies meetin' the commitment to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense, but they stressed that more was needed. And Trump's been blowin' his trumpet, criticizin' NATO members for not meetin' the current 2% target and callin' it an unfair burden on the U.S.
In response to this, some folks inside the loop told NBC News back in March that Trump's considerin' favorin' NATO members that spend a set percentage of their GDP on defense. If that's true, this'd be a game-changer—a major shift in America's engagement with NATO.
Now, Trump's been flip-floppin' between suggests'n that European allies should collectively match U.S. defense spending or fork out 5% of their GDP on defense. For us non-math whizzes, that's around three times the current target.
Not content with just dreamin', Lithuania's pullin' reins on their defense budget, aimin' for an additional 12 to 13 billion euros on defense by 2030—that'd bring their defense spending up to 5 to 6% of GDP. To bankroll this ‘til the economy grows enough to cover the costs, they're plannin' to introduce new taxes, hike some tariffs, and fund part of it through borrowin'.
Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas announced late in March that, come next year, they expect to allocate a whoppin' 5.25% of GDP for defense. That's one heck of a investment in their defense!
But it's not just Lithuania jump startin' the NATO defense boost—Spain and Italy are gearing up to meet the existing 2% target this year, with Spain even considerin' raisin' that to 3% at the NATO summit in June. No word yet on whether Trump's been weighin' in on these decisions, but it's clear that NATO's defense spending's in the spotlight, sport.
Oh, and just to make things a little more interesting, there's been some whisperin' about Trump proposin' a framework that'd have member nations commit to 3.5% of GDP for direct defense spending and an additional 1.5% for broader security-related expenditures. Now that's ambitious!
Sources:
- Spain Mulls 3% NATO Defense Target as Trump Pushes Members to Pay More
- Donald Trump to push for increased defense spending by NATO allies, two officials say
- NATO defense spending: Trump calls for hike, but allies take diverse approach
- Kestutis Budrys, Lithuania's Foreign Minister, is urging NATO to double or even quadruple the defense spending target, calling for Europe to double its defense funding to maintain NATO as a powerhouse of defense.
- Budrys highlighted Lithuania's increase in defense spending tenfold over the past decade as an example, emphasizing the significant costs involved.
- In response to Trump's criticism and potential policy shifts, NATO leaders are considering favoring allies that spend a set percentage of their GDP on defense, which could be a game-changer.
- Lithuania aims to allocate an additional 12 to 13 billion euros on defense by 2030, bringing their defense spending up to 5 to 6% of GDP, and are planning to raise taxes, tariffs, and borrow funds to finance this increase.
- Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas announced plans to allocate 5.25% of GDP for defense in the coming year, marking a significant investment in Lithuania's defense.
- Not only Lithuania, but Spain and Italy are also preparing to meet the existing 2% target this year, with Spain even considering raising it to 3% at the NATO summit in June. Trump's proposed framework might require member nations to commit to 3.5% of GDP for direct defense spending and an additional 1.5% for broader security-related expenditures, making it ambitious.
