U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis said Feb. 15 that the United States may moderate its commitment to NATO unless all of its member states boost their defense spending. The statement came after Mattis met with defense ministers from other NATO countries in Brussels. This is not the first time that the United States has urged other members to spend more to maintain the alliance's defenses. After all, few countries actually reach the 2 percent of GDP threshold for defense spending prescribed by NATO. The United States itself meets the target as do Greece, the United Kingdom, Poland and Estonia.
The renewed U.S. call for members to reach spending targets is one that should be taken seriously considering the assertive posture of the new administration on an array of issues. President Donald Trump has already called for cuts in funding to international organizations and has referred to NATO as an obsolete bloc.
Mattis is not alone in supporting higher defense budgets across Europe. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during the Feb. 15 meeting in Brussels that all partners agree that defense spending needs to be increased. British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon, however, took a step back from calling on countries to immediately reach the 2 percent spending requirement. Instead, he floated the idea of annual increases in national defense budgets so members can demonstrate good faith to the organization without having to meet the burden of higher spending all at once.
It is unclear whether these gradual actions will be enough to satisfy the United States and prevent Washington from reviewing its commitment to NATO. Still, based on Mattis's serious — but not unreasonable — statements, it may be enough to placate Washington's frustrations with NATO.
