Will Norway reach NATO’s two percent target? The Prime Minister, the Minister of Defense and the Minister of Finance meet the press.
Published: 02/05/2024 10:49
When Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine, Europe became a more uncertain place. In recent years, there has been a new investment in the Armed Forces in several countries. Also in Norway, which plans to spend NOK 600 billion on defense over the next 12 years.
On Thursday, the government announces yet another defense news. At 11 o’clock they have summoned the press to the Prime Minister’s office. There they stand strong with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum and Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram.
The top percentage goal?
The mainstay of Norwegian defense is NATO membership. In 2014, the NATO countries decided that it should be a goal that all member countries by 2024 should use two percent of their country’s gross domestic product gross domestic productGross domestic product (GDP) is the total value of all goods and services produced in a country during a year. SOURCE: SNL on the defense. Until now, Norway has not reached this goal.
But in March this year, the government announced that it will reach NATO’s targets already this year. It is a downward adjustment in GDP that has made it more reasonable for Norway to reach this target. According to the latest estimates, an extra NOK 5.2 billion is needed in the revised budget, writes NTB.
There is therefore excitement about whether it is this news that will come today at 11.
New US President?
The two-percent target was often highlighted by the former US president, Donald Trump, on the grounds that European countries do not contribute sufficiently to the alliance.
Now Donald Trump is once again running for president. It caused a great furore when Trump said during an election campaign event that the United States would not come to the aid of a country that did not meet the conditions. He confirmed that once again in an interview with Time magazine this week.
