The United States Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, described current tensions over European military spending as minor adjustment difficulties rather than a fundamental breakdown of the alliance.
Speaking on Monday, Whitaker emphasized that Washington is not abandoning its commitments but expects Europe to take greater responsibility for its own conventional defense.
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"We're not going away, we're just doing less," Whitaker said in an interview with CNBC.
Spending Targets and Summit Agenda
The comments come as the alliance prepares for a crucial summit in Ankara, Turkey, where leaders will discuss translating long-term financial pledges into concrete operational results.
Member nations previously agreed in the Netherlands to a 5% of GDP defense spending benchmark by 2035, including a 3.5% allocation for core defense needs.
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Whitaker downplayed the policy disagreements among European governments, stating, "I see these as just the challenges that we've worked through before."
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the focus is on turning allied commitments into concrete results during the meetings scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.
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The ambassador reiterated that the ultimate goal is for Europe to take over conventional defense of the European continent, while the US shifts its role.
