Former Vice President’s group warns that US troops could be at risk if NATO allies do not make significant changes.
Former President Mike Pence’s lobbying group, Advancing American Freedom (AAF), has raised concerns about the U.S. military’s ability to defend national interests, especially in relation to potential conflicts involving Russia. A memo sent to Congress by AAF pointed out that NATO countries have failed to meet their military spending obligations, putting a disproportionate burden on the U.S. Only a few countries, including the U.S., U.K., and Greece, fulfilled their 2% GDP defense spending commitment during Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. Non-compliant countries, on average, allocated only 1.3% of their GDP to defense at that time.
Under the current Biden administration, some countries like Turkey, Norway, and Italy have even regressed in their defense spending, moving closer to 2014 levels despite overall growth in military expenditures. In contrast, the memo highlighted that the Trump-Pence Administration prioritized improving burden-sharing among allies, which had a significant impact.
The memo emphasized the importance of equitable burden-sharing, especially in countries bordering Russia and Ukraine, stating that those closest to the conflict should bear a significant portion of the defense burden. The 2% GDP spending obligation is a crucial commitment made by NATO allies to bolster their defense capabilities.
Despite initial increases in defense spending by all NATO countries in the region following the annexation of Crimea, AAF noted that Norway and Romania have reduced military expenditures during the Biden administration. This trend is concerning, particularly as Russia escalated its activities and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. AAF warned that unless these trends are reversed, the deterrence strategy could fail, leading to potential Russian aggression against a NATO ally and necessitating U.S. military intervention to honor mutual defense agreements.
Former Vice President Mike Pence’s group criticized the Biden Administration for failing to strengthen NATO by holding members accountable for the 2% defense spending obligation. The Biden Administration’s approach has been deemed lacking in addressing the current geopolitical challenges posed by countries like China, Russia, and Iran. AAF stressed the necessity for the U.S. to encourage and, if needed, pressure its allies to fulfill their commitments to NATO’s burden-sharing principles.
Amidst the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the importance of expedited military aid from the U.S. Alongside this, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg acknowledged past shortcomings in providing military assistance to Ukraine but assured an increase in the flow of arms and ammunition to support the embattled nation. Furthermore, the U.S. Congress recently passed a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine, signaling continued American support for Ukraine’s defense efforts against Russia.
As tensions between global powers continue to escalate, the AAF’s memo serves as a stark warning about the potential consequences of inadequate defense spending by NATO allies. The U.S. military’s ability to defend national interests and honor mutual defense commitments hinges on a collective effort by all alliance members to meet their financial obligations. Failure to address these issues could undermine deterrence strategies and lead to destabilizing conflicts that may draw in U.S. forces.
It remains to be seen how NATO allies and the Biden Administration will respond to these calls for increased defense spending and strengthened burden-sharing within the alliance. The future security landscape of the transatlantic community may well depend on these crucial decisions and actions taken by key global players.
