NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has called on NATO member states to increase defense spending.
He wrote this in his article entitled “Each NATO ally has to pull its weight after Russia’s threats” for Britain’s Financial Times newspaper.
“While the U.S. and some European allies, including the UK, have invested significantly in modernizing their forces, others need to do more. As our economies begin to recover, we need to reverse the trend of declining defense spending. This may not be easy but it is vital,” Rasmussen said.
He recalled that during the past five years, NATO allies have on average cut defense spending by 20%, whereas Russia has increased its defense budget by 50%.
Rasmussen said it was encouraging that some countries – such as Poland, Romania and the Baltic states – are already taking clear steps in increasing defense spending.
He said he expected the NATO summit this autumn to show that the alliance’s countries are prepared to invest more to keep their defenses strong.
ap
06.08.2014 11:46
