The head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, said that the European Union will not “bend in” to US demands to increase military spending within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty.
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Reuters reports this.
Let us recall that two days ago, on February 15, at the summit of NATO defense ministers, Pentagon chief James Mattis reminded his European colleagues of the need to “fairly share” the alliance’s military expenses.
“This American demand has been around for many, many years,” Juncker told a security conference in Munich. “I am categorically against us agreeing to this.”
According to the head of the EC, for Germany, increasing the share of military spending from the existing 1,22% of GDP to 2% will mean the absence of a budget surplus, which is harmful for “modern stability policy.”
“I don’t like that our American friends narrow the concept of security to purely military spending,” Juncker explained.
According to him, the EU can “spend money more efficiently,” noting that Europe also allocates money for humanitarian aid.
Recall as PolitNavigator previously reported, The European Parliament decided to strengthen the centralization of the EU and create a common European army.