Should the U.S. defend other NATO countries that maintain low military defense budgets relative to their GDP?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance formed by 28 countries in 1949 after the Second World War. To join NATO each member country pledged to spend at least 2% of their GDP on military spending and defense and defend each other against threats from any non-member country. At the NATO Summit of 2014, each member agreed on a goal of spending 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense by 2024. Member nations further agreed to devote at least 20% of defense spending on major new equipment and associated Research and Development. As of 2020,…
Read more55% Yes |
45% No |
44% Yes |
36% No |
11% Yes, and refusing to defend other NATO countries sets a dangerous precedent for the balance of global power |
6% No, we should not defend any NATO country that spends less than 2% of their GDP on military defense |
3% No, and we should withdraw from NATO |
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Unique answers from America users whose views extended beyond the provided choices.
@8JCJLWV3yrs3Y
Yes, but should strongly encourage such nations to increase their support for NATO
@5495QKW3yrs3Y
No, but add a clause that ensures a "tax" or reparation is made to the US from those countries that need defending (and under 2%) should they need the US military for defense or aid.
@8XHGB7H2yrs2Y
Yes but demand they pay their fair share
@547W2M23yrs3Y
"Defending" each other is how wars are started. Hell no.
@548HSP83yrs3Y
We should not be expected to fund countries who prosper but do not fund their own defense -- why should we bear the cost when they can afford to do so?
@5485KZ23yrs3Y
Yes, upon the condition that a lien (of sorts...) is placed on that country, resulting in a gained equitable interest to the People of the U.S. Maybe even going to so far as being a fund of mutual benefit, to the US and the country being protected. This could be practical if that country is better off spending their own budget on something which would bring more benefit to that country, thereby increasing a potential return to the US. Especially since the US has so much invested in its military already.
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In a move hailed as a historic milestone, Germany has begun the deployment of troops in Lithuania, marking the first long-term foreign deployment of German forces since World War II. This significant development underscores Germany's commitment to NATO and its dedication to bolstering the alliance's…
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Germany has unveiled the most sweeping military reforms since the cold war, including the possible revival of national service, as part of efforts to better prepare its armed forces to defend Nato territory.Speaking in Berlin on Thursday on the military alliance’s 75th anniversary, defence minister Boris Pistorius said he had signed an order to reorganise the German military from top to bottom.“It is a landmark reform . . . Our goal is to restructure the Bundeswehr in such a way that it is best positioned in the event of defence, in the event of war,” said Pistorius. “Nobody should have the idea of attacking Nato territory — this is what we [want to] convey.”The measures are part of a huge shift in Germany’s attitude towards its armed forces, reflecting what Chancellor Olaf Scholz said was a Zeitenwende or turning point in security policy after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine two years ago.A single operational command will take charge of four new component forces, with cyber warfare raised to an equal footing alongside land, air and sea operations.Military officials drawing up the plans have been given six months to implement them. A key demand from the ministry is that the Bundeswehr will be made ready for compulsory national service in Germany, Pistorius said, should a decision be taken to reintroduce it. The country stopped its mandatory military service — as well as the option to serve in non-military institutions — in 2011.A defence ministry proposal on a model of national service for young adults will be put before German politicians in the coming weeks, he added.
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As the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) commemorates its 75th anniversary, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and escalating tensions with Russia are at the forefront of international concerns. This milestone comes at a critical juncture, with NATO's foundational principles of democracy, liberty,…
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