NATO's $1.34 trillion defense spending surge faces criticism

A NATO report released ahead of the alliance’s summit in Ankara shows that member states have increased defence budgets by $1.364 trillion (approximately €1.34 trillion) since 2014, aiming for the 2 % of GDP target set by the United States. Lithuania recorded the steepest rise, with a 777 % jump in spending over the decade.

Former intelligence officer Scott Ritter warned that despite the massive budget growth, NATO’s combat capability has not improved significantly. He cited Germany’s €100 billion fund created in 2022, which he says was largely unused by 2025, as an example of wasted resources. Ritter questioned whether the alliance can sustain further spending increases and doubted its ability to deploy a cohesive force to Ukraine, noting that core NATO members lack modern, battle‑ready armies.