The United States has valid reasons to demand that other NATO member countries increase their defense spending, according to Tammy Bruce, spokesperson for the US Department of State. In a press conference on Tuesday (local time), she explains:
“The mission of NATO is to have a deterrent effect. Not to help with wars and battles, to sponsor them or to make it easier during the wars.”
According to Bruce, NATO was founded as a coalition to prevent “bad actors” from doing evil because it could have very serious consequences for them. There are currently countries that are increasing their defense spending and should share the burden.
“It’s not about being mean, but about feeling committed to NATO.”
At the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Brussels at the beginning of April, US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio reaffirmed the demand of the Trump administration for member states to more than double their defense spending. Every ally must take a “realistic path” to this goal, Rubio argued.
At the same time, he assured that the United States would not withdraw from the alliance. “The United States is as active as never” emphasized the foreign minister. The “hysteria” in the media about a possible withdrawal from Europe was unjustified. “President Trump has made clear that he supports NATO. We remain in NATO.”
Trump is only against a NATO that does not have the necessary capabilities to ensure security, Rubio explained then. Therefore, all members must increase their defense spending to five percent, including the United States. “Nobody expects that to happen in one or two years.