France’s defense ministry vows to meet NATO target for military spending
France’s defense budget will reach the 2% of national gross domestic product in line with NATO’s spending agreement, the country’s defense minister, Sebastien Lecornu, said Thursday.
“From Brussels where he is participating in the meeting of Defense Ministers of #Nato, @SebLecornu announced this morning that France’s defense budget will reach 2% of GDP in 2024,” the French Ministry of Defense wrote in a post on X, according to an English translation by the platform.
“France is thus fulfilling a commitment made by all member states at the #Nato Wales summit on September 4 and 5, 2014.”
The NATO heads of state in 2014 agreed to allot 2% of each of their countries’ gross domestic product to defense spending to ensure military readiness in the face of threats. The agreement was made in the wake of Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea that year.
Former U.S. President and Republican front-runner Donald Trump recently threatened to “not protect” NATO countries that did not meet the 2% spending target, and that he would even encourage Russia to attack them. The comments drew strong rebukes from NATO leaders.
— Natasha Turak
NATO chief expresses hopes U.S. will pass Ukraine aid package
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg reiterated hopes that the U.S. Congress will approve a package of ongoing aid for Kyiv, after the U.S. Senate earlier this week passed a $95 billion package in funding for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan.
The bill must still be assented by the Republican-led House of Representatives, which is likely to express more rigorous opposition.
Supporting Kyiv is an investment in the security of NATO members, Stoltenberg said, in comments reported by Reuters. NATO has stalwartly declared its solidarity with Ukraine, with Stoltenberg noting recent Ukrainian progress against Russian forces.
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s military said it destroyed a Russian landing ship off the coast of occupied Crimea, in what would…
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