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The first day of the NATO summit in Brussels can be summed up in five words: it could have been worse. Especially after the show that US President Donald Trump held hours before the start of the meeting.
First of all, he fired a salvo of tweets in which he once again complained that most other NATO countries had spent a great deal of money in defense and thus living at the expense of USA. He then accused Germany of entering captivity in Russia with the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.
Feared that Trump would break the NATO summit and cancel the joint declaration already accepted in Brussels. The headquarters then jumped. Judging by this article, the other day went very well: Trump gave up trampling the public, dismissed the family photo, no other head of state or government and was even on Twitter relatively factual.
Trump demands military spending of 4% of GDP
Even the meticulously prepared 23-page press release remained unchanged in its 79 points. This is also true for the third paragraph of the paper, which deals with defense spending, the central theme of the summit. Four years ago, at the Wales Summit, NATO countries pledged to spend their defense spending "at" 2% of GDP by 2024. The new document of the summit merely baderts this goal without making it legally binding, and adds to the demand for concrete plans of expenditure
This also seems appropriate given that, according to the latest NATO figures, only 5 of the 29 member countries have already achieved the two per cent target. In addition to the United States with 3.5%, it is Greece (2.27%), Estonia (2.14%), Great Britain (2.1%), Greece (2.27%), Estonia (2.14%) and Great Britain (2.1%). ) and Latvia (2%). In contrast, Germany is only 1.24%. By the year 2024, the rate is expected to reach 1.5%. In absolute terms, Germany will spend 80% more for defense than in 2014, said Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Trump, unlike Merkel, considers the two percent as restrictive – not only in 2024, but now – is clear anyway, the rich Germany could spend as much tomorrow, Trump said Wednesday morning. At the first session of the summit, he even called for an increase in the spending target to 4 percent of GDP, diplomats said. However, no one has taken this requirement. Now let's start with the two percent decided, said NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg later on the question of Trump's request
Video Analysis: "Why Trump risks unity of NATO? "
topple the summit package because of the two percent question, or even torpedo it completely if the spending target is not increased.
But in the afternoon, the heads of state and government blessed the statement as planned. In this document, the 29 states invoke the protection of common security, freedom and the rule of law, the fight against terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mbad destruction.
The main enemy of NATO is Russia. The defense alliance accused of illegal and illegitimate annexation of Crimea, destabilization of Ukraine, provocative military activities at the borders of NATO, Kaliningrad nuclear rocket parking and violation of the INF Treaty on medium-range nuclear missiles.
inside, then, something like harmony, and the outer edge against Russia? This impression darkens Donald Trump personally, as soon as he left the NATO headquarters in Brussels. "What good is NATO if Germany pays billions of dollars of gas and energy to Russia," Trump tweeted. "Why only 5 of the 29 states have kept their promises?"
The summit just confirmed Wales' resolution, which states that the 2% target should not be firm and, second, not be reached until 2024. "You must pay IMMEDIATELY 2 % of GDP, not here 2025 ".
For the second day of the summit, it does not bode well.
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