Originally Posted by
West Coast
This still doesn't explain why Europe underfunded it defenses. Europe took the peace dividend concept a little too far.
.................... and, to be honest, some places in Europe are still faffing on!!!!
From
ORACs post on the US nuclear umbrella a couple posts back from here (#4754):-
".....While European allies have committed to drastically increasing their defence spending and investments in key conventional military capabilities currently provided to them by the US ....."
From where I'm sat (in the UK) I think you can safely count the UK out re "
drastically increasing their defence spending"!
The much-vaunted Defence Investment Plan is approaching 6 months overdue and, even when it's finally published (whenever that actually happens - latest guestimate is just ahead of next months NATO summit) I suspect it will simply promise "jam tomorrow" ........ with "tomorrow" never actually being defined!
Apparently the Defence Minister, Luke Pollard, has said the government has signed "1,200 major defence deals" since the general election in July 2024. I've just checked and, yes, fear not, there is no shortage whatsoever of paper-clips in the Stationery cupboard so we're absolutely fine Chaps and Chapesses!!!!
