Everyone needs to pay their fair share, domestic and internationally, when it comes to defense. But it’s our own fault, we wanted to be and still be considered the bad ass world power we had to pay the price, but we can no longer be the world’s police officer. – PB/TK
Mattis: NATO members must boost defense spending or US will ‘moderate its commitment’ – Associated Press
BRUSSELS – 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.
He did not detail what the United States might do if NATO members failed to fall in line.
Echoing a demand made repeatedly by President Donald Trump, Mattis said NATO must adopt a plan this year that sets milestone dates for governments to meet a military funding goal of 2 percent of gross domestic product.
The Pentagon chief called it a “fair demand” based on the “political reality” in Washington.
“No longer can the American taxpayer carry a disproportionate share of the defense of Western values,” Mattis told the alliance’s 27 other defense ministers, according to a text of his remarks. “Americans cannot care more for your children’s future security than you do.”
Attending his first NATO defense ministers’ meeting, Mattis tried to make his case by citing the threat from Russia. The gathering came at an awkward time for the United States, after Trump fired national security adviser Michael Flynn over Flynn’s communications with Russia before President Barack Obama left office Jan. 20.
Continue to foxnews.com article: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/02/15/mattis-nato-members-must-boost-defense-spending-or-us-will-moderate-its-commitment.html
