NATO
Looked at the official NATO figures to sense check claim carried by media today that US picks up 75% of the NATO defence spending bill compared with Cold War era where it matched Europe 50:50. (Implying that Europe is to blame for military budgetary austerity is to blame for the widening of the gap).
According to NATO’s own figures the spend gap change isn’t as reported. It’s risen from about 61% to 72% from 1990 to 2013 and by far the biggest driver of that change is the US dramatically increasing its spending in the 21st Century. Europe still spends 45% more now on defence in current USD terms than it did in 1990 and shouldn’t be ashamed of not keeping up with the USA’s 140% increase in spending over that period.
Whether more spending is right or not or if any amount is ever going to be enough to ensure peace is for another time but for now let’s at least get the figures right.