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Business Recorder
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Recorder
NATO defence buildup must ‘outpace Russia': US envoy
BRUSSELS: NATO's push to ramp up defences must outstrip Russia's rearmament drive as Moscow is already gearing up for its 'next move' beyond Ukraine, the US ambassador to the alliance said Wednesday. The warning came ahead of a meeting of NATO defence ministers Thursday that will seek to forge a deal on hiking military spending for a summit later this month. US President Donald Trump has called on Washington's allies to commit to spending five percent of their GDP on defence. NATO chief Mark Rutte looks on track to secure a compromise deal agreement at the upcoming summit in the Hague for 3.5 percent of GDP on core military spending, and 1.5 percent on broader security-related areas such as infrastructure. 'The urgency of this moment is undeniable as the Russia-Ukraine conflict grinds on, Moscow is already preparing for its next move,' US ambassador Matthew Whitaker told journalists. Ukraine invited to NATO summit in The Hague: Zelenskyy 'We are already seeing the Kremlin aims to rebuild its military. NATO allies must outpace Russia. We have no other choice. Let me be clear, the time is now.' Whitaker said 'the United States expects every ally to step up with concrete plans, budgets, timelines, deliverables, to meet the five percent target'. 'This is not going to be just a pledge. This is going to be a commitment. Every ally must commit to investing at least five percent of GDP in defence and security, starting now again, this is not a suggestion,' he said. The US envoy said that Washington remained committed to NATO's Article Five mutual defence clause – but expected allies to step up their spending. 'We will defend every inch of allied territory, and we will do it from a position of unmatched strength,' Whitaker said. NATO ministers will sign off at their meeting in Brussels on new capability targets for the weaponry needed to face the threat from Russia. 'We are going to take a huge leap forward,' Rutte said. 'These targets set out what forces and concrete capabilities the allies need.' Rutte said he was 'absolutely, positively convinced' that NATO countries would agree to a new spending deal in The Hague. The NATO chief insisted that the United States 'have made totally clear their commitment to Article Five'. He similarly insisted that Washington remained committed to backing Ukraine despite defence secretary Pete Hegseth skipping a meeting of Kyiv's backers in Brussels on Wednesday.
Hindustan Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Donald Trump could skip NATO summit if allies don't act on spending: Report
US President Donald Trump could skip the upcoming NATO summit if other members of the defence alliance do not act on burden-sharing, Reuters reported, citing local media. Spiegel magazine, which cited European diplomatic sources, reported that Germany, in particular, has been pressured to boost its defence spending. Last week,US defence secretary Pete Hegseth also discussed the issue with his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius. Trump has rattled allies by threatening to only defend those he thinks are spending enough on defence as he pushes them to ramp up their military budgets. Also Read | Donald Trump says 'Crimea will stay with Russia'; dismisses Ukraine joining NATO "It's common sense, right?" Trump had told reporters in the Oval Office in March. "If they don't pay, I'm not going to defend them. No, I'm not going to defend them." According to AFP, his administration has also suggested that it could shift forces away from Europe to focus on threats elsewhere, like China. The Trump administration's questions regarding NATO have raised questions about the transatlantic bloc, which has been the bedrock of European security for the past 75 years. Also Read | NATO foreign ministers seek reassurance on US commitment to alliance Last month, NATO chief Mark Rutte had played down Trump's remarks about NATO, saying that he has not undermined the alliance's Article Five collective defence pledge and said an American conventional presence would stay in Europe. "The agenda is not for the US to leave NATO or to leave Europe, the US is here. They will pivot more towards Asia, so that might, over time, mean that they have to rebalance," Rutte said, according to AFP. "But there is now and there will remain in Europe a nuclear and also a conventional presence of the United States."
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governors, including Idaho's Brad Little, press for a balanced budget amendment
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a news conference in the Idaho governor's office to promote a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution for a balanced budget, standing between Idaho Gov. Brad Little (right) and Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, on March 24, 2025. (Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun) Tired of waiting for federal action on the nation's $36 trillion national debt, governors are banding together to press for state action. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis met with Idaho Gov. Brad Little on March 24 to discuss adding a balanced budget amendment to the U. S. Constitution. From the beginning, the governors were clear that they are asking states to urge lawmakers to vote for a constitutional convention. The main focus of the convention would be federal fiscal accountability. DeSantis told reporters during the joint Idaho press conference: 'I am convinced that you are not going to have Congress all of a sudden change its behavior for the long term. I think the reason we've gotten into this with respect to fiscal is because there are certain incentives for the people that are in Washington to behave the way they do. And we need to change those incentives.' Florida Gov. DeSantis visits Idaho in push for U.S. Constitution balanced budget amendment He continued: 'If Idaho and Montana join the fight, that gets us to 29 there's a couple other states that are on the precipice as well. You need 34 states to trigger Article Five, where you would actually write an amendment and then eventually send it to the states for ratification.' Gov. Little posted on X: 'The freight train of federal spending has to stop. Under Donald Trump's leadership the size of the federal government is being reduced, now it's time for Congress to put an end to the ever-growing debt. Grateful to Ron DeSantis for his efforts promoting a balanced budget!' DeSantis acknowledged the federal fiscal problem has bipartisan blame: 'As a proud conservative and as a proud Republican, I have no problem pointing out the truth that this is both parties in Washington that have created this mess. As much as I'd like to come up here and blame the Democrats, the fact of the matter is it's happened under both parties.' During the 2025 legislative session, Idaho lawmakers rejected three different applications for a constitutional convention. They were for the purposes of balancing the budget and imposing fiscal restraints on the federal government, limiting the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limiting the terms of office for the federal government's officials and members of Congress. Gov. DeSantis continued his balanced budget tour on March 24 by visiting with Gov. Greg Gianforte in Montana to promote the same initiative. Montana also proposed an application for a convention with Senate Joint Resolution 4, but it too was rejected. Gov. Gianforte stated: 'In Washington, they've been spending like drunken sailors – that is not what our founders envisioned, we need a change, and fast, to prevent our children and grandchildren from inheriting this mess and we can't expect Washington to impose permanent fiscal restraints on itself. That's why we need a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.' According to a recent poll, 68% of Americans are in favor of a constitutional convention to propose amendments that would establish term limits, impose spending ceilings, and curb the power of the federal government. The federal government's $36 trillion in federal debt equates to roughly $106,000 per person in the country. In 2024, the United States spent more on interest costs than on any federal program except Social Security. This problem needs to be resolved quickly. There are numerous reasons why this problem must be addressed quickly. A large and growing national debt puts the U.S. at a greater risk for a fiscal crisis, being vulnerable to foreign creditors, and reducing public and private investment. Another massive reason is that funds spent on interest payments for the federal debt are not available for infrastructure, defense or other important national priorities. In 2020, the average interest rate on America's debt was 2.344%, and it has grown to 3.211% as of this year. In April 2024, U.S. Bank estimated that the federal government was on pace to acquire $1 trillion in new debt every 100 days. If a national emergency were to happen, the government wouldn't have any other choice but to borrow or print new money. This is why balancing a federal budget is a must. If 49 out of 50 states have to balance their own respective budgets, why shouldn't the federal government be required too? On March 26, Moody's Investor Service also published a study on U.S. debt. It originally changed its rating from 'stable' to 'negative' when looking at the U. S. credit score in November of 2023, and the findings of this recent study reached the same conclusion. It found that federal policy decisions could lead to worsening debt and higher interest rates for the U.S. The study said: 'The potential negative credit impact of sustained high tariffs, unfunded tax cuts and significant tail risks to the economy have diminished prospects that these formidable strengths will continue to offset widening fiscal deficits and declining debt affordability.' Critics claim that the vehicle of a constitutional convention will result in a 'runaway convention' that will meddle with the entire Constitution. But there is a high threshold of a 3/4 vote, or 38 states needed in order to ratify an amendment to the Constitution to ensure order and stability. Supporters of a constitutional convention acknowledge that there is a strong possibility that a constitutional convention won't happen. If there are enough applications, one stream of thought is that Congress will propose appropriate ratification to send to the states, rather than having the state legislatures call the shots. The last time the federal budget was balanced was in 2001. Spending has gotten so out of control that states must step up to act. This push by Govs. Little, Gianforte and DeSantis shows that there is a real desire and momentum for a constitutional convention. Lawmakers in Idaho, Montana and around the country should seriously consider moving forward with their applications to impose fiscal restraints on the federal government. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Al-Ahram Weekly
04-04-2025
- Business
- Al-Ahram Weekly
Trump has not 'undercut' collective defence pledge: NATO chief - War in Ukraine
NATO chief Mark Rutte insisted Friday that US President Donald Trump has not undermined the alliance's Article Five collective defence pledge and said an American conventional presence would stay in Europe. "Article Five, he has not undercut. He has committed to NATO, he has committed to Article Five," Rutte told AFP in an interview. Trump has rattled allies by threatening to only defend those he thinks are spending enough on defence as he pushes them to ramp up their military budgets. His administration has also raised the prospect that it could look to shift forces away from Europe to focus on threats elsewhere like China. "The agenda is not for the US to leave NATO or to leave Europe, the US is here. They will pivot more towards Asia, so that might, over time, mean that they have to rebalance," Rutte said. "But there is now and there will remain in Europe a nuclear and also a conventional presence of the United States." European countries have said that if Trump does plan to withdraw forces from the continent, he needs to coordinate with them to not leave gaps in the face of Russia. "I assume and I expect that will be done in the spirit of no surprises," Rutte said. The NATO head defended his own refusal to criticise the volatile US leader, insisting he saw "eye to eye" with Trump on efforts to bolster spending and bring the war in Ukraine to an end. "When it comes to the issues I'm focused on, and that is Ukraine, that is NATO territory, we are really on one page," he said. Rutte was speaking after a meeting of ally foreign ministers where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded they agree on a "realistic path" to spending five percent of GDP on defence. That figure appears well out of reach for most allies and is even considerably above what the United States currently spends. Rutte said he would now launch a "content-driven process" studying the military requirements needed as the alliance looks to come up with a new spending target for a summit in The Hague in June. "I think you now need to get to a number, potentially, be it in hard billions or a percentage, but then also a pathway together," he said. - China 'threat' - Washington has sparked fears in Europe that it could be looking to draw closer to NATO's number one nemesis Russia as it has reached out to Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. Rutte insisted that Moscow remained the main threat for all NATO -- and not just Europe. "Yes, to the whole of the alliance, as we have agreed," he said. He said in addition that he viewed China as a "threat", a possibly controversial view inside the alliance which still refuses to label Beijing a direct menace. "If you ask me, personally, I would say there's also a threat. I know NATO language is a bit more careful," Rutte said. "But China, with the immense investments they are making in the military, more navy ships than the US has, a thousand nuclear warheads... Yeah, it's really ramping up." Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
Al Arabiya
04-04-2025
- Business
- Al Arabiya
NATO chief says Trump has not ‘undercut' collective defense pledge
NATO chief Mark Rutte insisted Friday that US President Donald Trump has not undermined the alliance's Article Five collective defense pledge and said an American conventional presence would stay in Europe. 'Article Five, he has not undercut. He has committed to NATO, he has committed to Article Five,' Rutte told AFP in an interview. Trump has rattled allies by threatening to only defend those he thinks are spending enough on defense as he pushes them to ramp up their military budgets. His administration has also raised the prospect that it could look to shift forces away from Europe to focus on threats elsewhere like China. 'The agenda is not for the US to leave NATO or to leave Europe, the US is here. They will pivot more towards Asia, so that might, over time, mean that they have to rebalance,' Rutte said. 'But there is now and there will remain in Europe a nuclear and also a conventional presence of the United States.' European countries have said that if Trump does plan to withdraw forces from the continent, he needs to coordinate with them to not leave gaps in the face of Russia. 'I assume and I expect that will be done in the spirit of no surprises,' Rutte said. The NATO head defended his own refusal to criticise the volatile US leader, insisting he saw 'eye to eye' with Trump on efforts to bolster spending and bring the war in Ukraine to an end. 'When it comes to the issues I'm focused on, and that is Ukraine, that is NATO territory, we are really on one page,' he said. Rutte was speaking after a meeting of ally foreign ministers where US Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanded they agree on a 'realistic path' to spending five percent of GDP on defense. That figure appears well out of reach for most allies and is even considerably above what the United States currently spends. Rutte said he would now launch a 'content-driven process' studying the military requirements needed as the alliance looks to come up with a new spending target for a summit in The Hague in June. 'I think you now need to get to a number, potentially, be it in hard billions or a percentage, but then also a pathway together,' he said. China 'threat' Washington has sparked fears in Europe that it could be looking to draw closer to NATO's number one nemesis Russia as it has reached out to Moscow to end the war in Ukraine. Rutte insisted that Moscow remained the main threat for all NATO - and not just Europe. 'Yes, to the whole of the alliance, as we have agreed,' he said. He said in addition that he viewed China as a 'threat,' a possibly controversial view inside the alliance which still refuses to label Beijing a direct menace. 'If you ask me, personally, I would say there's also a threat. I know NATO language is a bit more careful,' Rutte said. 'But China, with the immense investments they are making in the military, more navy ships than the US has, a thousand nuclear warheads... Yeah, it's really ramping up.'
