Germany Reverses Course, Abandons Annual NATO Spending Target

The German government has reversed its commitment to meet NATO's target of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense annually, instead pledging to meet the target on average over a five-year period. The clause pledging to meet the target was removed from the draft of a new budget financing law just before it was passed to parliament. The Foreign Office opposed setting the 2 percent target in law, while the Defense Ministry desired it. Germany has faced criticism from NATO partners, particularly the United States, for not meeting defense spending requirements in the past.