Is the US really carrying NATO? In today’s #EuropeTodayExplains, Jakub Janas investigates how much of the NATO bill is really footed by America, as pressure mounts on Europe to scale up its investments in the alliance. Watch his report for #EuropeToday here:
"This Tuesday, NATO leaders land in Ankara for an annual summit. And it is a big thing, as they will try to map out the future of Western defense. The pre-negotiated statement promises an iron-clad 32-member family committed to collective protection. But the official documents are not always reflecting the reality. Last Thursday, Donald Trump blasted again his allies on Truth Social, saying that Europe abandoned the US with its Iran war. It is ridiculous for Washington to keep up its one-sided relationship with NATO. It is a bold statement, so let's look at the raw numbers, to see if its most powerful member is right about it. Reports show a massive 20% surge year-on-year in core defense spending across Europe and Canada. In plain English, the Allies injected an extra $258 billion into the pot over the last two years. And NATO's secretary-general points out that Allies have spent $1 trillion on defense since Trump's first administration. He even calls it the Trump trillion to flatter the White House, while demanding it turns into combat-ready capabilities. Finally, NATO members even pledge to hit a massive 5% GDP defense target by 2035 to build a revamped NATO 3.0. But here is a problem. This math does not change the cold reality on the ground, even if a big chunk of that cash flows straight back to US defense firms. Washington is shrinking its wartime resource pool and withholding long-range bombers, fighter jets, submarines and warships from European command. But the absolute leverage comes down to artificial intelligence. The US controls the monopoly on next-generation military AI models like Claude Mifflis. Washington treats this software as a tactical weapon, enforcing strict export bans. So Trump decides which ally receives digital protection and which country gets left behind. So it seems like buying a trillion dollar ticket does not buy a permanent American protection. Europe is paying the bill for this alliance, but Washington still holds the keys. Do you think Europe is totally dependent on US military power, or maybe finally it's building its own defense systems? Let me know what you think and see you tomorrow."
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Is the US really carrying NATO? In today’s #EuropeTodayExplains, Jakub Janas investigates how much of the NATO bill is really footed by America, as pressure mounts on Europe to scale up its investments in the alliance. Watch his report for #EuropeToday here:
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