Germany balks at Tillerson’s call for more European Nato spending
Germanay’s Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said it was neither ‘reachable nor desirable’ to spend the agreed Nato target of 2 per cent of member states’ economic output on defence
United States Secretary of State Rex Tillerson reassured his nervous European counterparts over Washington’s commitment to Nato and pressed them again to spend more on defence, triggering a rebuke from Germany.
Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said it was neither “reachable nor desirable” for Germany to spend the agreed Nato target of 2 per cent of member states’ economic output on defence. Nato allies have until 2024 to do that.
The US will realise it is better to talk about better spending instead of more spending
“Two per cent would mean military expenses of some €70 billion [HK$580 billion]. I don’t know any German politician who would claim that is reachable nor desirable,” Gabriel told the first meeting of Nato foreign ministers attended by Tillerson. “The US will realise it is better to talk about better spending instead of more spending.”
Gabriel noted that humanitarian, development and economic aid to stabilise countries and regions should also count.
In his first remarks to Nato ministers, Tillerson said allies needed to pay up or outline plans for meeting that target when Nato leaders meet on May 25 for the first top-level summit of the alliance to be attended by US President Donald Trump.
Trump has criticised Nato as “obsolete” and suggested Washington’s security guarantees for European allies could be conditional on them spending more on their own defence. He has also said he wants Nato to do more to fight terrorism.
