President Donald Trump's defence secretary told NATO allies on Wednesday they must honour military spending pledges to ensure the United States does not moderate its support for the alliance, accusing some nations of "ignoring threats, including from Russia".
“I owe it to you to give you clarity on the political reality in the United States, and to state the fair demand from my country’s people in concrete terms,” said General James Mattis during closed-door talks in Brussels, where he met with defence ministers for the first time since being sworn in.
“America will meet its responsibilities, but if your nations do not want to see America moderate its commitment to this alliance, each of your capitals needs to show support for our common defence. No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defence of western values. Americans cannot care more for your children’s future security than you do,” Mattis said.
Only five of the 28 member states currently meet the alliance's spending target of 2% of GDP.
