NAN-F-44
Defence
Brussels, Feb. 16, 2017 (dpa/NAN) Secretary of Defence James Mattis said the U.S. call for NATO members to increase their defence spending was “expected” and “well received.
Mattis made this known after attending his first meeting for NATO defence ministers.
He told his NATO counterparts that the U.S. would “moderate” its commitment to the alliance unless members make plans to meet the NATO-mandated defence spending target of 2 per cent of GDP.
“The burden-sharing message I delivered was expected and it was very well received.
“I depart confident that the alliance will be unified in meeting today’s security challenges.
“U.S. commitment to Article 5, which enshrines the principle of collective defence within NATO, “remains rock solid,” Mattis said at the end of the two-day meeting
On Wednesday, Mattis told NATO members that they must prepare a plan by the end of the year on how they would achieve the two-per-cent target.
He said that had been set in since 2014 in response to the changing global security situation. The deadline to meet the goal is 2024.
“I am optimistic the alliance will adopt a plan this year.
“This include milestone dates to make steady progress towards meeting defence commitments in light of the increased threats that we all agree that we face,” Mattis said.
According to NATO, only Greece, Britain, Estonia and Poland met the two per cent target aside from the U.S., which bears the largest financial burden in the alliance.
(dpa/NAN)
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Edited by Celine-Damilola Oyewole/Sadiya Hamza