Data has revealed the NATO countries who are not spending enough on defence to warrant Donald Trump using US forces to protect them from an attack.
The President-elect caused alarm during his election campaign by suggesting Washington would think twice about coming to the aid of an endangered NATO ally if it had not paid its dues.
The alliance has set a target for its members of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence - but the likes of France, Germany and Canada are among more than 20 members not meeting the objective, figures show.
Revealed, the NATO slackers: Why Trump is so infuriated by countries spending less than half their fare share on European defence (and we should be too)
NATO has set its members a target of spending 2% of GDP on defence
France, Germany, Canada and Latvia among countries not meeting target
Trump had earlier suggested US would think twice about coming to the aid of nations who do not meet the recommended spend
By Julian Robinson for MailOnline
14 November 2016
Data has revealed the NATO countries who are not spending enough on defence to warrant Donald Trump using US forces to protect them from an attack.
The President-elect caused alarm during his election campaign by suggesting Washington would think twice about coming to the aid of an endangered NATO ally if it had not paid its dues.
The alliance has set a target for its members of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence - but the likes of France, Germany and Canada are among more than 20 members not meeting the objective, figures show.
Data has revealed the NATO countries not spending enough on defence to warrant Donald Trump using US forces to protect them from an attack
The alliance has set a target for its members of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence - but the likes of France, Germany and Canada are among more than 20 members not meeting the objective, figures show
Even Eastern European NATO members Latvia - bordering Russia - and neighbouring Lithuania are projected to spend less than the target level in 2016.
Slovakia and Hungary - both bordering Ukraine - do not meet the 2 per cent recommendation either, according to defenseone.
Mr Trump provoked alarm earlier this year by saying that the military alliance was created to confront a threat - the Soviet Union - that no longer exists and has called the alliance 'obsolete' and a bad deal for America.
He argues that the US gets too little out of decades-old security partnerships like NATO, which is anchored in Europe but traditionally led by America.
In an interview earlier this year he said he would look to see whether countries had 'fulfilled their obligations to us' before deciding whether to come to their aid in the event of a Russian attack.
The President-elect caused alarm during his election campaign by suggesting Washington would think twice about coming to the aid of an endangered NATO ally if it had not paid its dues
In an interview earlier this year Trump said he would look to see whether countries had 'fulfilled their obligations to us' before deciding whether to come to their aid in the event of a Russian attack
The 70-year-old also hit out at EU countries who are not paying their share of the bill for NATO. America picks up more than 70 per cent of the cost.
Britain, Greece, Estonia and Poland are the only other four of the 28 members to have signed up to the spending target.
But the likes of France (1.8 per cent), Canada (1 per cent) and Germany (1.2 per cent) are not reaching the suggested level of expenditure.
Slovenia, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg spend less than 1 per cent on defence, the statistics show.
Portugal, Bulgaria, Croatia, Albania, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Slovakia, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary and Canada all spend between 1 per cent and 1.4 per cent.
Meanwhile, France, Turkey, Norway, Lithuania, Romania and Latvia spend between 1.5 and 1.9 per cent of GDP of defence.
Yesterday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg issued a stark warning that 'going it alone is not an option' following Trump's stunning US election victory.
Mr Trump provoked alarm earlier this year by saying that the military alliance was created to confront a threat - the Soviet Union - that no longer exists and has called the alliance 'obsolete' and a bad deal for America. Soldiers are pictured during a NATO exercise in Poland this year
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg issued a stark warning that 'going it alone is not an option' following Trump's stunning US election victory
'We face the greatest challenges to our security in a generation,' Stoltenberg wrote in The Observer as he outlined NATO's strengths, amid concerns over the president-elect's position on the US-led alliance.
'This is no time to question the partnership between Europe and the United States.'
Stoltenberg noted that the only time NATO's self-defence clause - 'an attack on one is an attack on all' - has been invoked was after the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States.
More than 1,000 European soldiers serving in Afghanistan 'paid the ultimate price' in an operation that was 'a direct response' to the attacks, he added.
He said NATO had made possible the 'integration of Europe' and ended the Cold War, adding: 'European leaders have always understood that going it alone is not an option.'
The alliance continues to play a key role in fighting terrorism and has responded in recent years to 'a more assertive Russia', Stoltenberg added.
He conceded, however, that European leaders must increase their financial contributions to the 28-nation alliance, a demand made by Trump during his campaign.
The President-elect caused alarm during his election campaign by suggesting Washington would think twice about coming to the aid of an endangered NATO ally if it had not paid its dues.
The alliance has set a target for its members of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence - but the likes of France, Germany and Canada are among more than 20 members not meeting the objective, figures show.
Revealed, the NATO slackers: Why Trump is so infuriated by countries spending less than half their fare share on European defence (and we should be too)
NATO has set its members a target of spending 2% of GDP on defence
France, Germany, Canada and Latvia among countries not meeting target
Trump had earlier suggested US would think twice about coming to the aid of nations who do not meet the recommended spend
By Julian Robinson for MailOnline
14 November 2016
Data has revealed the NATO countries who are not spending enough on defence to warrant Donald Trump using US forces to protect them from an attack.
The President-elect caused alarm during his election campaign by suggesting Washington would think twice about coming to the aid of an endangered NATO ally if it had not paid its dues.
The alliance has set a target for its members of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence - but the likes of France, Germany and Canada are among more than 20 members not meeting the objective, figures show.
Data has revealed the NATO countries not spending enough on defence to warrant Donald Trump using US forces to protect them from an attack
The alliance has set a target for its members of spending 2 per cent of GDP on defence - but the likes of France, Germany and Canada are among more than 20 members not meeting the objective, figures show
Even Eastern European NATO members Latvia - bordering Russia - and neighbouring Lithuania are projected to spend less than the target level in 2016.
Slovakia and Hungary - both bordering Ukraine - do not meet the 2 per cent recommendation either, according to defenseone.
Mr Trump provoked alarm earlier this year by saying that the military alliance was created to confront a threat - the Soviet Union - that no longer exists and has called the alliance 'obsolete' and a bad deal for America.
He argues that the US gets too little out of decades-old security partnerships like NATO, which is anchored in Europe but traditionally led by America.
In an interview earlier this year he said he would look to see whether countries had 'fulfilled their obligations to us' before deciding whether to come to their aid in the event of a Russian attack.
The President-elect caused alarm during his election campaign by suggesting Washington would think twice about coming to the aid of an endangered NATO ally if it had not paid its dues
In an interview earlier this year Trump said he would look to see whether countries had 'fulfilled their obligations to us' before deciding whether to come to their aid in the event of a Russian attack
The 70-year-old also hit out at EU countries who are not paying their share of the bill for NATO. America picks up more than 70 per cent of the cost.
Britain, Greece, Estonia and Poland are the only other four of the 28 members to have signed up to the spending target.
But the likes of France (1.8 per cent), Canada (1 per cent) and Germany (1.2 per cent) are not reaching the suggested level of expenditure.
Slovenia, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg spend less than 1 per cent on defence, the statistics show.
Portugal, Bulgaria, Croatia, Albania, Denmark, Germany, Holland, Slovakia, Italy, Czech Republic, Hungary and Canada all spend between 1 per cent and 1.4 per cent.
Meanwhile, France, Turkey, Norway, Lithuania, Romania and Latvia spend between 1.5 and 1.9 per cent of GDP of defence.
Yesterday, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg issued a stark warning that 'going it alone is not an option' following Trump's stunning US election victory.
Mr Trump provoked alarm earlier this year by saying that the military alliance was created to confront a threat - the Soviet Union - that no longer exists and has called the alliance 'obsolete' and a bad deal for America. Soldiers are pictured during a NATO exercise in Poland this year
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg issued a stark warning that 'going it alone is not an option' following Trump's stunning US election victory
'We face the greatest challenges to our security in a generation,' Stoltenberg wrote in The Observer as he outlined NATO's strengths, amid concerns over the president-elect's position on the US-led alliance.
'This is no time to question the partnership between Europe and the United States.'
Stoltenberg noted that the only time NATO's self-defence clause - 'an attack on one is an attack on all' - has been invoked was after the 9/11 terror attacks on the United States.
More than 1,000 European soldiers serving in Afghanistan 'paid the ultimate price' in an operation that was 'a direct response' to the attacks, he added.
He said NATO had made possible the 'integration of Europe' and ended the Cold War, adding: 'European leaders have always understood that going it alone is not an option.'
The alliance continues to play a key role in fighting terrorism and has responded in recent years to 'a more assertive Russia', Stoltenberg added.
He conceded, however, that European leaders must increase their financial contributions to the 28-nation alliance, a demand made by Trump during his campaign.
