By the end of 2030, the NATO states want to provide more than 20 billion euros for joint spending. An agreement reached at the Madrid summit provides for the NATO budget to increase significantly every year, as several participants from the German Press Agency confirmed on Thursday.
The additional funds should make it possible to invest more money in moving equipment to the eastern flank and in military infrastructure. In addition, there should also be more funds for exercises and cyber security and the promotion of partnerships with friendly third countries.
According to the information, the civilian and military budgets are to be increased by 10 percent each year from 2023 onwards, and that for the NSIP security and investment program by as much as 25 percent. According to NATO calculations, almost 45 billion euros would then be available for the period from 2023 to 2030. Without the increase, it would only have been around 20 billion euros.
According to dpa information, the fact that the figures were not publicly communicated after the summit has to do with France. The country had long resisted major budget increases and, with the agreement, insisted that this would not be communicated in detail for the time being.
According to information from NATO circles, it also made sure that the decision would be reviewed again in 2025. In his final press conference at the summit, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg therefore only spoke of a “significant increase” in the budget by 2030.
NATO’s military and civilian budgets and programs currently amount to around 2.5 billion euros. For comparison: according to alliance documents, the defense expenditures of the USA alone were 822 billion US dollars (786 billion euros), those of Germany at least 55.6 billion euros.
According to the current contribution scale, the Federal Republic of Germany, together with the USA, currently bears the largest share of NATO’s joint costs. Both countries each contribute around 16.3 percent – in 2021 that was around 400 million euros each.