Some NATO member states in Europe infuse to increase defense costs up to 3% of GDP, compared to the current level of 2%. This opinion was expressed by the CEO of the European Commission on Defense Industry, Timo Pesonen. "When NATO allies raise their defense budgets to at least 2% of GDP, some already talk about 3%," he said. This pressure increases in the conditions of a long war of Russia against Ukraine.
Pesonen noted that "people are thinking about the duration of the conflict, which, in my opinion, is futile assumptions because the threat remains." He made this statement after the statement of NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who indicated that the Alliance member states should "make more" than the minimum 2% of the GDP for defense, determined in 2014.
Currently, only Poland and Greece in the European Union consume more than 3% of GDP on defense, together with the United States.
Polish President Andrzej Duda appealed to NATO leaders with a proposal to increase defensive costs from 2% to 3% of GDP. In December 2023, Bild, citing sources in intelligence, reported that Russia could attack Europe at the end of 2024 or in the early 2025, when the United States may undergo "leadership loss" and assist European countries with only some delay.
The head of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, warned that the civilian population of the West should be ready for a "complete military conflict" with Russia.
German Minister Boris Pistorius noted in January 2024 that Europe was again faced with a military threat that has not been observed for the last 30 years and warned of Russia's possibility of attack for five to eight years.
The commander -in -chief of Lithuania, Waldemaras Rupshis, believes that the likelihood that Russia will start the war against NATO next year is very small.
According to US intelligence, in March, Russia reported that it did not seek direct military conflict with the United States and NATO and will continue asymmetrical activities, which, according to them, will not cross with the threshold of a large -scale military conflict.
German intelligence argues that Russia has been preparing for a large -scale conflict with NATO and can attack at least part of the Alliance since 2026.
On April 18, the Head of Defense forces of Estonia, General Martin Herre, stated that in the event of Russia's attack, Estonia would be able to repel the attack and defeat the war.
