On February 21, 2024, NATO announced a significant milestone: for the first time, European allies had collectively met the defense spending target of 2% of GDP. This achievement comes after former President Trump’s urging for NATO members to increase their defense budgets. According to NATO’s latest figures, released on January 15, 2024, the collective defense expenditure of European NATO Allies will reach $380 billion in 2024, marking an “unprecedented rise” in spending. This increase builds on the 11% growth in defense spending across Europe and Canada throughout 2023, a year when 18 countries exceeded the 2% GDP target for defense projects. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg highlighted the progress, emphasizing the real strides made in European defense spending. However, he noted that some allies still need to meet the agreed-upon target, as the 2% figure is considered a minimum. This spike in defense expenditure among European NATO Allies is viewed as a direct response to Russian aggression against Ukraine, contrasting with increases in the Indo-Pacific region, which are largely seen as responses to territorial disputes with China.

Poland and Germany were among the European countries with the most significant defense spending increases in 2023, with Poland’s defense budget rising by $12.5 billion and Germany’s by $7.3 billion. In contrast, the UK and Greece saw reductions in their defense budgets, though both countries still spent above the 2% GDP target on defense. These developments follow former President Trump’s controversial statements at a campaign rally on February 10, suggesting that NATO allies failing to meet the 2% defense spending target could lose U.S. support. This stance has sparked debate over the effectiveness of NATO’s collective defense guarantee and the United States’ commitment to its security agreements.