http://www.wsj.

com/articles/nato-calls-for-rise-in-defence-spending-byalliance-members-1434978193

JustFiveof28NATOMembersMeet
DefenseSpendingGoal,ReportSays
Report comes amid concern over Russias growing military
assertiveness
By
NAFTALI BENDAVID
June 22, 2015 9:03 a.m. ET

BRUSSELSMostNATOcountriesareboostingtheirmilitaryspendingbysmallamountsif
any,despitetheconcernoverRussiasgrowingassertiveness,accordingtoareportreleased
Mondaybythealliance.
OnlyPolandthisyearjoinedthefourothercountries,outof28totalNATOmembers,thatare
meetingthealliancesgoalofspending2%oftheirgrossdomesticproductondefense.Theother
fouraretheU.S.,GreatBritain,GreeceandEstonia.
Overall,sixcountriesareraisingandsixarecuttingtheirmilitaryspendingasaproportionGDP
thisyearwhencomparedwith2014,andtherestarestayingthesame.Russiainvadedand
annexedtheUkrainianregionofCrimeainearly2014.
Weneedtoredoubleoureffortstoreversethistrend,NATOSecretaryGeneralJens
StoltenbergsaidMonday.Wearefacingmorechallenges,andwecannotdomorewithless
indefinitely.
Mr.Stoltenbergsaid18allieshaveincreasedtheirspendinginrealterms,butnotedthatoverall
NorthAtlanticTreatyOrganizationspendingissettodecreaseby1.5%,toroughly$893billion.
Atthesametime,Russiahasbeensignificantlyincreasingitsownmilitaryspendingas
PresidentVladimirPutinseekstomodernizethecountrysarmedforces.

ThefigureswerereleasedtwodaysbeforeNATOdefenseministers,includingU.S.Defense
SecretaryAshCarter,meetinBrussels.TheyreexpectedtodiscussaU.S.plantopreposition
heavymilitaryequipmentinEasternEurope,aswellaswaystostreamlineNATOssometimes
cumbersomedecisionmakingsothealliancecanspeeditsresponsestoRussianmoves.
Militaryspending,longasorespotespeciallywithU.S.officials,islikelytobeamajorfocusof
themeeting.AtaNATOsummitlastSeptemberinWales,nationalleadersagreedtostop
defensecuts,increasespendingastheireconomiesimproved,andaimforthe2%markwithina
decade.
Atleastsevencountries,includingPoland,havepledgedtoreachthebenchmark,thoughsome
willtakeyearstodoso.Someofthesecountries,includingLatviaandLithuania,areamong
thosethatincreasedtheirspendingthisyear.
Intotal,theU.S.accountsforroughly75%ofthemilitaryspendingbyallNATOmembers.U.S.
leadersforyearshaveurgedEuropeancountriestodomore,sayingtheyneedtotakemore
responsibilityfortheirowndefense.
ButwithEuropeseconomystrugglingandnoclearadversaryonthehorizon,fewinEuropean
capitalswerepersuaded.
NowthatEuropeseconomicoutlookisimproving,ifhaltingly,andRussiahasemergedasa
seriousthreatonEuropeseasternflank,leadersinWashingtonhopeEuropeancountrieswill
finallymakebiggercommitments.ButasMr.StoltenbergsaidMonday,thenewfiguresshow
thepictureismixed.
U.S.AirForceSecretaryDeborahLeeJameswasinBrusselslastweektoconferwithNATO
officials,andsheurgedAmericasalliestoreversethetrend.
UnfortunatelyandIwishitwerentso,butitispeaceandstabilitydoesnotcomeforfree,Ms.
Jamessaid,adding,ItjustseemstomethatNATOisatarealcrossroads,andwehadbetternot
falter.

Somecountries,suchasGermany,aneconomicpowerhousethatspends1.2%ofitsGDPon
defense,havearguedthattoomuchfocusisplacedonthe2%threshold.Moreimportant,they
say,isthatcountriesfocustheirmilitarydollarswisely,onthingslikeweaponsresearchand
joiningwithothercountries.
Morebroadly,somecountriessuggesttheyaretiringofhearingtherepetitivemessagefrom
BrusselsandWashington.
ClaireCraanen,aseniorNATOanalyst,saidatarecentforumwithMs.Jamesthatmany
countriesaren'tincreasingtheirmilitaryspendingdespitecurrenttensions.
Itsnothappeningandsurprisinglyso,ifIcouldsayso,aftertheUkrainecrisis,itisstillnot
happening,Ms.Craanensaid.Anditseemstomealittlebitthatthisbashingonmilitary
spending,ifIcouldputitlikethat,isbecomingadivisiveissue,ifanything.