EU leaders head to NATO summit finally willing to heed US demands for their defense spending
They know they look bad. Now they see how impotent they are. Moochers. They promised 3% of GDP in Trump’s first term, but they waited and hoped, and sure enough, spineless BidenHandlers let them off the hook.
Now Trump is demanding 5%. Spain says no - their membership in NATO is, of course voluntary NT so is the US’s.
No more sugar daddy crap. Yes, I know the importance of NATO. But believe me, they do as well. It is not worth our while to be in NATO if we have to foot the bill. We can do just fine on our own. They know this as well. And they know Trump will act.
This time, it’ll be at the start of Trump’s term. No Biden Bale Out.
Link: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-heads-nato-summit-europe-agrees-heed-his-defense-spending-demands
Replies to: EU leaders head to NATO summit finally willing to heed US demands for their defense spending
Great. So we don't need to fund their wars. No single penny!
That's the goal tracing back to Eisenhower who wanted them to act like this so that America could sit back and relax somewhat. Creating NATO is not American's idea from very beginning anyway.
But in reality I don't believe any these countries can reach the goal of 5% of GDP except Poland (and tiny Baltic states who won't matter even increasing to 50%). Their slow economic growth rates, their commitment to wellfare such as healthcare, education, or social security...and climate protection, just don't allow them to have 5% military spending budgets. Mark my words, there will be social revolutions in most of these countries if they force to do it. Spain already has been given exception. They can reach 2.1%, instead 5%.
Trump definitely motivated the NATO countries…
And in truth, they feared the US wouldn’t come to their aid if Russia attacked. This is the main reason for the increase in defense spending. I don’t like Trump’s approach, but I have to admit that it was effective.
Now, let’s see if Trump puts real pressure on Putin.
We are in full agreement, and it's the only way to get them to pull their own weight.
Appeasement sucks as a foreign policy.
They blinded themselves to Putin's imperialist fantasies cuz they were dependent on his hydrocarbons
They are fortunate that he had a corrupt and backward military or he'd have re-established hegemony over all of Eastern Europe.
False. They blinded themselves to depend on US taxpayer-funded military protection while benefiting
From cheap Russian resources. They were too smart by using both US and Russia to build their liberal socialist coutries until Trump became president. Now they are facing to lose both benefits from US and Russia. They are panicking. They're in crisis. They're forced to respond to this crisis.
You are both correct imo.
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Best not to become overly dependent on your enemy for things like resources or capital
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This is true. Germany especially was stupid in this regard.
France is the model they should all be following.
NATO countries have stepped up to Putin...not so sure that DJT is willing to do the same. Will he
bite the hand that helped him get elected in 2016?
Link: https://www.nato.int/nato_static_fl2014/assets/pdf/2024/6/pdf/240617-def-exp-2024-en.pdf
Your reality is distorted, they handcuffed themselves to Russian ONG.
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That's no longer true...check out the linked article which contains data on how much the EU has
decreased reliance on Russian NG...and there are investments being made to drive it to zero.
Link: https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/how-eu-plans-ban-russian-gas-2025-06-17/
Yep. Plus, they aren’t really fully in line w democracy anymore.
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Their politicians were buying votes with social benefit funds that should have gone for defense.
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