Defense ministers from all of the major NATO member countries met in a pivotal meeting. Individually, they had high stakes, as they debated the future of defense spending and the fate of collective security. The future of transportation summit as it was referred to, was held in the summer of 2018. It convened the most powerful leaders on the planet: U.S. President Trump, German Chancellor Merkel, French President Macron, British Prime Minister May, Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, Turkish President Erdoğan. As discussions intensified, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg suggested halting the debate to reach a consensus that all parties could support.
Tension made the atmosphere during the roundtable electric. During his administration, President Trump decried NATO allies publicly for failure to meet the defense spending target established at the 2014 Wales Summit of 2% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). He bravely claimed that the United States is carrying a disproportionate load. The country spends 4% of GDP on defense and pays for an estimated 80-90% of NATO. In many ways, Trump’s comments served to underscore his administration’s desire for a more equitable allocation of finances within the alliance. He has called on fellow member states to increase their military spending.
Stoltenberg’s visit to the White House in April 2017 marked a significant moment in NATO’s relationship with the Trump administration. In their first meeting, Stoltenberg made a powerful case using data. He noted that NATO allies have increased their defense budgets by $33 billion since 2014. This was an expensive and risky effort to convince Trump that the alliance really believes in collective defense and bearing shared responsibilities. Yet, as the 2018 summit drew closer, these discussions exposed rifts that ran to the core of the alliance between member nations on defense burden-sharing.
During the summit, Trump made it clear that he expected NATO members to meet the 2% target immediately or face consequences by a deadline of January 1st. His issuing of the ultimatum created a wave of uncertainty and concern through America’s allies. For most of them, they were already having a tough time making the spending target. Stoltenberg to illustrate some examples of underfunding. According to him, it is unacceptable that countries such as Croatia and Belgium are spending just 1.26% and 0.9% of their GDP on defense. These numbers underscored the burden NATO was shouldering as it tried to project unity among its member states.
Chancellor Merkel took a moment during the summit to reflect on NATO’s historical significance, expressing gratitude for the alliance’s role during the Cold War. Her remarks really underscored the need for security through community. Yet Trump was not the one to get goaded into disbelief and pay up. This made for a fair amount of tension when Trump sat down with Merkel for their bilateral discussion. His refusal to shake her hand in front of photographers became a huge news story and underscored the tension between the two leaders.
Iceland’s unique situation was equally fascinating to learn about in presentations and discussions. Armed forces of their own Held under NATO, Iceland has no armed forces. Consequently, it would never fulfill NATO’s 2% spending goal. This new reality led to inquiries on how small countries could equitably chip in to defense efforts. Alongside this, they need to demonstrate that their security requirements are being addressed.
Stoltenberg reiterated his alarm over Russia’s military buildups since assuming command of NATO. It was obvious that the alliance faced as many internal challenges as external threats that demanded a common defense. The urgency of addressing defense spending became increasingly apparent as leaders recognized that failing to reach a consensus could undermine NATO’s credibility and effectiveness.