Lithuania's defense minister: 2032 for reaching NATO's likely new defense spending target of 5% is too late

Lithuania's defense minister: 2032 for reaching NATO's likely new defense spending target of 5% is too late

Title: Lithuania's Defense Minister Urges Swift Action on NATO's New Defense Spending Target

Lithuania's Defense Minister, Arvydas Anšba, has expressed concern that the proposed timeline for reaching NATO's new defense spending target of 5% of GDP by 2032 is too late. The minister's comments come as NATO continues to discuss the new defense spending goal, which aims to enhance collective defense capabilities amid evolving security challenges.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has proposed a two-tier spending model that allocates 3.5% of GDP to core defense and equipment, with an additional 1.5% for broader investments in military mobility, infrastructure, and cybersecurity [3]. However, Anšba believes that the 2032 deadline is insufficient to meet the alliance's defense needs in the face of growing threats.

The defense minister has called for a more aggressive timeline, arguing that the current pace of defense spending increases is not sufficient to address the evolving security landscape. Anšba's concerns are echoed by several Eastern flank countries, which have pledged to spend at least 5% of GDP on defense and are pushing for a more ambitious timeline [2].

The new defense spending target is a response to increased pressure from the U.S. administration, which has argued that European allies have not done enough to meet their defense obligations. The proposal aims to strike a balance between meeting U.S. demands and providing European allies with achievable goals [3].

However, the timeline for reaching the new defense spending target remains a contentious issue. Some NATO members, including Lithuania, believe that the current timeline is too slow and that the alliance needs to accelerate its defense spending increases to better protect its members from emerging threats.

The upcoming NATO summit in The Hague on June 24-25 will be a key forum for discussing the new defense spending target and its timeline. NATO defense ministers will meet in Brussels this week to finalize the details of the proposal, including the definition of "defense-related" spending and the timeline for reaching the new target [1].

References:
[1] https://cybernews.com/cyber-war/nato-cybersecurity-5-defense-spending-target/
[2] https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence/news/eastern-and-nordic-nato-countries-push-for-5-of-gdp-in-defence-spending/
[3] https://www.turkiyetoday.com/world/nato-chief-rutte-proposes-5-defense-spending-target-to-balance-trump-temands-3202096