The Henry Jackson Society today commented ahead of the start of the NATO summit in Brussels – and called for member states to rise to President Trump’s challenge and meet their commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defence.
James Rogers, Director of the Global Britain Programme at the Henry Jackson Society, said:
“If NATO is to meet the challenges it faces over the coming years, its members must now meet their commitments. Those, like the UK, which underpin the alliance must also show leadership by increasing defence spending.
“This summit comes at a critical juncture in the history of the organisation – indeed, it may be the most important in its history. The eastern members of the alliance face destabilisation by Russia; Vladimir Putin’s troops remain in Ukraine; China’s rise is unsettling the West’s Asian allies; and Islamist terror continues to threaten our societies.
“While there has been a great deal of noise in the run-up to the summit about President Trump, he is right that it is past time European member states paid their dues and did their part.”