As Ukraine pushes for acceptance into the NATO alliance seven years after a US-backed coup brought a right-wing, pro-Western government to power, Washington is pushing other NATO allies to boost their military budgets even further in an attempt to bring maximum pressure against Moscow.
US national security advisor Jake Sullivan told reporters Monday that US President Joe Biden will emphasize the importance of burden-sharing in the NATO alliance and for allies to contribute to NATO exercises and operations at a NATO summit next week.
Summarizing their meeting topic as well as the forthcoming NATO summit, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday it would include “reinforcing transatlantic security in the face of challenges from Russia and China” as well as “adapting NATO to address threats like cyberattacks and climate change, while continuing to ensure a more equitable sharing of responsibility among Allies.”
“Spending more money together will be an expression of the strength of our commitment under Article 5, the promise to defend each other. It will also contribute to a fairer distribution of burdens,” Stoltenberg told Norway's state-owned outlet NRK at the time.
The US has by far the largest military budget of the NATO alliance, to say nothing of the rest of the world, spending 3.7% of its GDP on the military. However, the Pentagon's budget constitutes 39% of all defense spending by all countries on the globe,…
