Originally Posted by
tdracer
I don't know about the UK, but it's a well established fact that most members of NATO have frequently failed to meet the treaty obligation of 2% GDP spending on defense - and the US has had to make up for that. Trump brought that up during his first term - that the US couldn't afford to keep doing that - and the rest of NATO blew him off.
You didn't wake up until Putin invaded Ukraine.
The US has also contributed far more in dollar value to Ukraine that any other nation. There is a valid complaint that - as a percentage of the US GDP - it's less than some countries - but that glosses over the fact that we are still sending them more stuff.
The NATO Treaty, does not explicitly contain a binding obligation on member states regarding defense expenditure. However, it establishes the principle of collective defense, which implies a need for adequate military capabilities. Article 3 of the NATO Treaty encourages member nations to maintain and develop their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attack. In 2014, NATO members agreed to aim for spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense by 2024 during the Wales Summit.
This is more of a guideline than a formal obligation, and adherence is voluntary. There is an emphasis on burden -sharing among member states, promoting equitable contributions to collective defense efforts. Overall, while the treaty itself doesn’t impose strict defense spending requirements, the collective commitment to mutual defense encourages members to invest adequately in their military capabilities.