NATO Chief Backs Trump in Need to Increase Defense Spending

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that the group faces "great security challenges" and as a result there needs to be "fair burden-sharing" and higher defense spending.
Defense ministers from NATO are under pressure to raise contributions to the security group as conflicts grow across the world and as the new US administration urges more compliance from member states. "We do reduce defense spending in times when tensions are going down, we have to be able to increase defense spending when tensions are going up as they are now," Stoltenberg told reporters. 
NATO data showed that last year spending increased in real terms by 3.8% among European allies and Canada. This boosted NATO funds by about $10 billion. Even though such figures were slightly above expectations, Stolenberg told reporters the momentum has to continue.
The new US administration has repeatedly said that all 28 NATO members have to comply with their commitment to the spending target. At the moment, only five of them respect the 2% contribution.
President Donald Trump has described NATO as "obsolete" and has claimed that it has not been successful in "taking care of terror", adding that European countries need to increase their defense contributions.
His remarks have not been well-received in Europe, but Stoltenberg agreed with Trump when it comes to members' contributions. "In my two phone calls with President Trump defense spending has been a main topic and he has strongly expressed his strong commitment to NATO, to the transatlantic bond but at the same time President Trump has in both the phone calls also underlined the importance of a fairer burden sharing. And I agree with him," Stoltenberg told reporters. 
Defense ministers will address this issue Wednesday and Thursday at a meeting in Brussels. Later this year, Trump is set to attend a NATO leaders' meeting where spending is set to remain a key topic. 

Source:  QNA