Mattis tells NATO allies to kick in more funds now, or United States will 'moderate its commitment'

Rss@dailykos.com (mark Sumner) · Wednesday, February 15, 2017, 12:44 pm

Donald Trump made the contributions of NATO allies a part of his campaign, so it’s not surprising that when newly minted Defense Secretary Jim Mattis addressed that organization, his comments leaned heavily on finances.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday issued a sharp ultimatum to NATO Wednesday, telling allies they must start increasing defense spending by year's end or the Trump administration will "moderate its commitment" to them.

How much are NATO members required to put into defense? There actually is no number. The 2 percent of budget statement that is often raised, is a guideline with neither penalties nor enforcement mechanisms. Only 5 of the 27 NATO member states actually reach that number, and one of those is Greece, whose spending is not completely under its own control.

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