Jake Sullivan: You Can Count on a Strong NATO
Americans understand the value of alliances. They know that these relationships make us stronger and help us build a world that is free, independent, prosperous and secure. But they also want to make sure that our allies are pulling their weight and paying their fair share of the costs of a common defense.
When President Biden took office in 2021, our alliances around the world were atrophied and underutilized.Now, three and a half years later, our allies arecommitting more to our common defensethan at any point since the end of the Cold War, making both them and America more secure. There is still more progress to be made, but we are well on our way to building strength that advances U.S.interests and enables us to work together to shape the future of the international order.
Let’s start with the numbers.
As NATO meets this week in Washington,we are closer than ever to fulfilling the pledge that alliance members made 10 years ago,after Russia’s illegitimate annexation of Crimea,to spend 2 percent of their gross domestic product on defense.Twenty-three NATO members, out of 32, are expected to meet or exceed that target in 2024, compared with just nine in 2020, and five in 2016.This year alone America’s NATO partners — Canada and 30 European nations — will spend an estimated $506.7 billion on defense. That is an increase of $181 billion from 2020, compared with an increase of $70 billion from 2016 to 2020, during the previous administration.
These numbers will continue to improve. In 2023, defense expenditures of NATO nations in Europe and Canada grew by 8 percent. This year, they are set togrow by 18 percent. These are not just numbers on a page or a fancy accounting trick: In the next five years, our NATO allies will add over 650 fifth-generation F-35 aircraft, over 1,000 air defense systems, nearly 50 warships and submarines, 1,200 battle tanks, 11,300 combat vehicles and nearly 2,000 artillery systems to modernize their arsenals, making us all more secure. So indeed, Europe is doing more.
There are a number of reasons for this important shift. The president knew that we could persuade our allies and partners to do more — and spend more — if we strengthened and deepened ties instead of bullying them or threatening to leave the alliance. Europe, as well, was adjusting to the new security realities following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The good news is not confined to NATO. In the Indo-Pacific, our closest partners are also increasing their military spending. Japan committed to doubling its national security-related spending, including a 65 percent increase in military spending, by 2027. In 2022, South Korea announced a five-year plan to spend more than $260 billion on its defense, which would mean annual increases of 6.8 percent on average. And Australia recently announced that it would spend a record $37 billion on defense next year, with further increases planned over the next few years.
