Burden Sharing

European allies spend far less on defense than the United States, and American taxpayers cover the gap through forward deployments and nuclear guarantees. Washington should make NATO's 2 percent GDP target a binding floor, not a rhetorical ceiling, or bring troops home.

European allies have spent decades underfunding their own defense while Washington footed the bill. It is long past time they paid their fair share.

The United States spends nearly $850 billion on defense while most NATO allies still miss the two percent target, so Washington should condition troop deployments on proof that Europe will pay for its own security before our debt breaks the bank.