NATO leaders must decide at their next summit, likely to be held in June, whether to hike the organisation’s common funding in order to boost the allies’ deterrence and defence (D&D). The issue was discussed by allied foreign ministers at a 23–24 March meeting in Brussels. This could also see changes to NATO’s defence planning process to support D&D developments, according to allied diplomatic sources.
Asked by Jane s if he would also propose reforms in how NATO common funding is disbursed at the next alliance summit, Stoltenberg said allies must agree that they “need more resources to do more”. (NATO)
A larger common-funded NATO budget to cover expanded D&D measures, including accelerated technological innovation and capability development, is part of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s NATO 2030 plan for modernising and boosting NATO’s defence posture.
Stoltenberg declared during the March ministerial meeting that he has proposed “a substantial increase” in common funding to support D&D, which he said was positively received by the allies, although he provided no numbers. NATO’s common annual fund is split into three budgets: civil, military, and infrastructure, of which the military budget is currently worth approximately USD1.6 billion.
“We had very positive and very good discussions over the last two days,” he told reporters after the meeting’s conclusion on 24 March. “I also sense very broad support for the idea that we need to agree substantive and concrete measures when it comes to, for instance, how to maintain our technological edge.”
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