NATO Allies Urged to Fulfill Defense Funding Obligations

A bipartisan group of senators is urging President Joe Biden to prioritize NATO nations' military spending at an upcoming summit in Lithuania. Currently, only 11 out of 31 NATO countries are projected to meet the alliance's guideline of spending at least 2% of their GDP on defense by the end of this year. The senators argue that the lack of progress in defense spending by many allies undermines American support for the alliance and limits Europe's ability to contribute to shared defense interests. They are encouraged by reports that NATO nations may set 2% as a minimum and agree on a new target of up to 3% GDP. Former President Donald Trump had also pushed for increased defense spending by NATO allies.