Eight countries have already reached their defense spending target, Portugal still falling short
The data are contained in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s annual report, presented today at the Alliance’s headquarters in Brussels, by Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who welcomes the fact that 2021 was the seventh consecutive year of increase of defense spending among European allies and in Canada, up 3.1% in real terms compared to 2020.
The 2021 annual report reveals that, last year, Greece (3.59% of GDP in defense spending), the United States (3.57%), Poland (2.34%), the United Kingdom ( 25%), Croatia (2.6%) and the three Baltic countries (2.16%) and Lithuania, Estonia, 2.03%), 2%, already love the 2% bar Agreed among allies in 2014 , with the United States accounting for 51% of the allies’ GDP.
Portugal appears, as a year earlier, in 17th place in the table, with 1.55% of the corresponding GDP, even so ahead of Italy (1.54%) and Germany (1.54%), and well above of Spain, which occupies the second to last place, with only 1.03%.
Recalling that, at the extraordinary summit of NATO leaders held last week in Brussels, the allies agreed that it is necessary to “strengthen the exercises to invest more, and more quickly, in the defense” of the Alliance, Stoltenberg commented that “there is a new sense ” of urgency” in view of the “new security reality”, namely in light of the Invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
“Already to a joint announcement of measures to increase time and contracts of resources. And the groups will present additional plans on how to fulfill an investment commitment in defense of the Madrid summit in June”, close to the investment commitment.
At the March 24 summit, on March 24, António Costa, realizing that NATO member states invest themselves primarily in their investment plan, advanced until the June summit, which will increase its investment in equipment.
In spending on military equipment and spending on defense, 21 members of the Alliance already have 2% are NATO’s target Portugal appears in 24th position, with 17% of savings
Speaking to journalists at NATO headquarters after participating in the alliance’s summit, António Costa recalled that, in 2018, member states made a “written commitment to the progressive reinforcement” of the defense budget.
In, the prime minister highlighted, the commitment in terms of investment was based “on own resources and a more reinforced commitment conditioned to the mobilization of the European Defense Fund”.
“What was determined here was that, when we arrive at the NATO summit in Madrid, at the end of June, each of the States must present an updated calendar of how we will continue to convert” in terms of investments in Defense, announced António Costa. .
The head of the Government defended that, in this area, “Portugal has two challenges: one, to increase its global budget in defense, and a second, which is no less important, which is to increase, within the Defense budget, the weight of investment in equipment”.
“We currently have less weight in equipment than we should have and more weight in human resources than what is the commitment we have with NATO”, he underlined.
António Costa said that this investment in defense must be made “in an intelligent way”, namely to “improve the capabilities of the Armed Forces”, but also to serve as a “strong stimulus for the participation and development of national industry”.
“Fortunately, today, in what we have, we have the capacity to serve as a useful utility, more excellent example, of an intelligent form of investment”, as an example, of a form of investment in Defense”, giving as done in the “area of intelligence” , communications, `drones`, equipment with the `Portuguese soldier` project, in textiles”, to control that Portugal can, and “must achieve”, use investment in Defense to “increase the capabilities of the Armed Forces ” , but also to dynamize a project of re-industrialization of the country”.
In September 2014, a few months after the annexation of Crimea by Russia, NATO leaders met at a summit in the country of countries, incorporating Gale to invest 2% of the doses of Gross Domestic Products (GDP) in Defense.
In this context, Portugal is reserved as a plan to reinforce its investment, targeting 8% of the national GDP for Defense, which the Government already has as an objective6, in its defence.
Also according to data from the report published today, Portugal remains the fifth country in the Alliance registers greater support for NATO, with 79% of inquiries in a survey promoted by the organization, even before the war released by Russia in Ukraine, saying who vote to belong to NATO in a hypothetical referendum, and only 4% vote in favor of leaving the organisation.