NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg believes that Russia is gearing its entire economy toward war, and that infrastructure would need to be developed to combat this reality. The development of more weapons and ammunition in the upcoming years is a key challenge to the continent. Stoltenberg has called for the restoration and expansion of Europe’s industrial base, as well as emphasized the importance of investing and producing weapons for Europe. Germany has committed to a two percent defense spending for 2024, which is seen as critical for Europe’s security.
Lieutenant Admiral Rob Bauer, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, has also remarked that citizens should prepare for the possibility of a war with Russia. Reports from NATO have shown that the United States and Germany are the primary contributors to the group’s budget, with the United States at 16.19 percent and Germany also at 16.19 percent. The Lieutenant Admiral also praised Sweden for asking citizens to prepare for war seeing increase in people willing to volunteer for the nation’s defense services. However, these warnings come in contrast to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s denial of any desire to expand his military pursuits beyond Ukraine.
The US and Germany seemed to have a clash on defense budget, with former President Donald Trump issuing a statement on how United States had been contributing more than required while expecting more from their NATO allies.