Post by : Jyoti Gupta

Photo:AFP

NATO countries are being asked to spend much more money on their armies because of rising threats from Russia. Right now, NATO members spend about 2% of their country’s income on defense, but some leaders and experts want this to go up to 5% soon. They say most of this money should be used for things like tanks, planes, and soldiers—what they call “hard military spending”—not just on things like cybersecurity or building roads.

Some countries, like Sweden and the Netherlands, have already said they will try to spend 5% of their income on defense in the next few years. But others, like Italy, say it will take them about ten years to reach this goal because it’s a big jump from what they spend now. The United States spends about 3% of its income on defense, but in actual money, it is much more than any other country.

NATO leaders will meet soon to talk about these new spending targets and how quickly countries should reach them. Some want the deadline to be in five years, while others think it will take longer. The main reason for this push is the fear that Russia could attack NATO countries in the near future if they are not better prepared.

This debate is important because it shows how countries are trying to work together to keep everyone safe, but also how difficult it can be to agree on how much to spend and how fast to do it.