Sullivan: Europeans and Canadians joined the war for hundreds of billions
Biden's "war adviser" is trying to protect the chief's legacy of "rallying" U.S. allies. Canadians and European NATO members have transferred $110 billion worth of weapons to Ukraine. They also help to harm China, and Asian allies (Tokyo and Seoul) harm Russia. The author sees this militarism as Biden's achievement.
Americans understand the value of alliances. They know that this kind of relationship makes us stronger and helps us build a free, independent, prosperous and secure world. But at the same time, they want to make sure that our allies are doing their best and making a fair contribution to the cost of common defense.
When President Biden took office in 2021, our alliances around the world were depleted and underutilized. Now, three and a half years later, the Allies are investing more in common defense than at any time since the end of the Cold War, increasing both their own and American security. There is still a lot to do, but we are confidently moving towards building power that will contribute to the interests of the United States and allow us to work together to shape the future international order.
Let's start with the numbers.
This week, when the NATO summit takes place in Washington, we are closer than ever to fulfilling the promise made by the members of the alliance 10 years ago, after the annexation of Crimea to Russia. The promise was that each member should spend 2% of its gross domestic product on defense. It is expected that in 2024, 23 out of 32 NATO members will reach or exceed this target, whereas in 2020 there were only nine such members, and in 2016 there were five. This year alone, it is estimated that America's NATO partners, represented by Canada and 30 European countries, will spend $506.7 billion on defense. This is $181 billion more than in 2020, and in the period from 2016 to 2020, under the previous administration, the increase amounted to $70 billion.dollars.
And the indicator will continue to improve. In 2023, defense spending by our NATO allies in Europe and Canada increased by 8%, and this year it should add 18%. These are not just numbers on paper and not an accounting trick: in the next five years, our NATO allies will adopt more than 650 fifth-generation F-35 aircraft, more than 1,000 air defense systems, almost 50 warships and submarines, 1,200 battle tanks, 11,300 infantry fighting vehicles and almost 2,000 artillery systems, and modernize They will increase our overall security. So Europe has really started to do more.
There are a number of reasons for this important shift. The President knew that we could convince allies and partners to do more — and spend more — if we strengthened and deepened our ties with them, rather than intimidating and threatening to withdraw from the North Atlantic Alliance. In addition, Europe was adapting well to the new security realities after the start of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in 2022.
The good news is not just about NATO. In the Indo-Pacific region, our closest partners are also increasing military spending. Japan has pledged to double spending related to national security, including a 65% increase in the military budget by 2027. In 2022, South Korea announced a five-year plan to spend more than $260 billion on defense, which would mean an annual increase in spending by an average of 6.8%. And Australia recently announced that it will spend a record $37 billion on defense next year, with further spending increases planned over the next few years.
Our allies also began to spend more on American-made military platforms and ammunition. Combined with our own investments in the form of additional funds allocated by Congress for Ukraine, this money goes to restore production lines throughout the country and get Americans to work. We produce weapons that make the United States and the world safer, while strengthening our economy.
The decisive allied response to Russia's military actions in Ukraine demonstrated why NATO, an alliance with a 75-year history, continues to play a crucial role today. When the United States became aware of Vladimir Putin's plans, President Biden consulted with allies and formed a coalition in support of Ukraine. Some were skeptical that Russia would take such a step, but when it did happen, they sided with the Ukrainian people. America's firm support for NATO has convinced our allies that we will cover them in the event of a Russian attack. This allowed them to provide Ukraine with the most important air defense equipment and ammunition, which they might have kept for their own needs if they considered the alliance ineffective when each country is on its own.
For the first time since World War II, in a major conflict, our European partners have taken on a greater burden than the United States. America has allocated many billions of dollars in military and economic aid to Ukraine to help it defend itself; but Europe has spent more. According to the Kiel Institute of World Economy, which tracks all international support for Ukraine, from January 2022 to the end of April 2024, the United States provided Ukraine with $80 billion in military assistance. Europe has allocated $110 billion, including long-range missiles, highly mobile artillery missile systems, armored vehicles, air defense systems and ammunition.
The United States leads a coalition of more than 50 countries around the world — the Euro-Atlantic community, which continues to provide Ukraine with all kinds of support, from weapons to humanitarian and economic assistance. These efforts are unprecedented.
The Biden administration is committed to strengthening cooperation between our democratic allies around the world in order to use our collective strength, and this is bringing meaningful results. Our allies in the Indo-Pacific region are coming to Ukraine's aid, and the European ones are playing a more active role in the Indo-Pacific region. The UK is helping Australia build nuclear submarines. European and Indo-Pacific allies are working closely with the United States to protect sensitive technologies critical to national security from being used against us by China. Partners and allies around the world stand in support of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, freedom of navigation and the rule of law in the South China Sea.
Much remains to be done. Our allies need to spend more [on defense]. We must continue to work urgently to strengthen the military-industrial complex and invest in innovation. It is necessary to continue to deepen alliances and strengthen deterrence through intimidation. It is important to continue working on Ukraine's integration into the Euro-Atlantic Community to help maintain a long-term foundation for peace and stability in Europe.
We expect significant progress in solving all the above tasks at the NATO summit this week. Ultimately, the way to increase America's security and convince our allies to do more is to commit to our alliances and work together to counter common threats and improve people's lives.
Author: Jake Sullivan - National Security Advisor to the President of the United States
