WASHINGTON—Today, The Heritage Foundation’s national security and defense experts urged member states in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to pay their fair share in defense contributions and to reverse decades of decline within the organization. Between July 9-11, NATO member states are convening for a summit in the nation’s capital to honor the alliance’s 75th anniversary.
Director of The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security Robert Greenway made the following statement:
“NATO prevailed over the Warsaw Pact by taking its defense seriously. Ironically, NATO’s lack of commitment to defense today invited aggression and now risks European security.
“Putin’s naked aggression serves as a wake-up call to achieve or exceed the minimum defense spending required by NATO and restore European security without placing the burden entirely on the American taxpayer. Poland, the Baltic states, and Scandinavian nations are leading the way, but the rest of NATO must follow.
“The alliance our grandfathers built won the Cold War, but the inheritance was squandered. It’s long past time to reclaim the vision and win the new Cold War.
Research Fellow for Nuclear Deterrence and Missile Defense at The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security Robert Peters added:
“The United States is committed to NATO, but given the threat posed by China, Europe must take primary responsibility for its conventional defense. Europe is more than capable of deterring even the most paranoid Russian autocrat from invading NATO territory. European NATO today is 20 times wealthier and 40% larger than it was in 1970, while Russia is a pale shadow of the Soviet Union.
“Europe should understand that the United States views Europe with friendship and warmth, due to our shared history, values, and interests—but increasingly stringent questioning of America’s commitment to NATO will be counterproductive.”
Policy Advisor for Defense Budgeting at The Heritage Foundation’s Allison Center for National Security Wilson Beaver concluded:
“Nearly 20 years ago, NATO member states agreed to spend at least two percent of their GDP on defense. Today, less than two-thirds of NATO members have achieved that and overall defense spending in Europe has plummeted.
“Too many NATO member states took a 30-year defense spending hiatus after the Cold War, and we’re now seeing the consequences of this with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“These imbalances must stop, and America’s European allies must take primary responsibility for security on the European continent through sustained increases in defense spending.”
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