By Michael Birnbaum Michael Birnbaum Brussels bureau chief covering Europe Email Bio Follow March 14 at 12:26 PM BRUSSELS — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Thursday that alliance members increased defense spending in 2018 for the fourth year in a row, highlighting a slow turnaround amid White House criticism that allies are overly reliant on U.S. military power.
“At a time when some are questioning the strength of the transatlantic bond, we are actually doing more together in more ways and in more places than ever before,” Stoltenberg said.Trump has hammered NATO allies for their lagging spending, recently raising in private conversations about an idea to charge countries for the cost of U.S. troop deployment on their soil, plus 50 percent.
Even if the U.S. president appears to harbor deep doubts about the value of the alliance, his own Cabinet officials and U.S. lawmakers have tried to reassure allies that NATO retains bipartisan support in Washington. Earlier this week, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell issued a rare invitation to Stoltenberg to address a joint session of Congress when he is Washington next month to celebrate NATO’s 70th anniversary.
Has it been 4 years of Trump already?
Has WaPo forgotten how many years Trump has been President? I mean it seems like four but that’s just seems like, not actually.
Math is hard, huh WaPo? Alternative headline: NATO Members Increase Defense Spending For Fourth Year in a Row.
Do you read your own headlines?
Math is hard
Hmm... 4th year. How long has trump been in office again? 🤔
4th year. Not because of trump
“following”
Obama secured this commitment.
The article itself contradicts the headline.
This is OBAMA's doing. WTF WaPo how lame can you get?
Seriously with this headline? NATO has increased its defense spending every year since 2014. But you can't think of anything that might have caused that other than Trump's pressure? I understand you think you need a peg, but Jesus.
What's with this headline? Fourth year in a row means the increase started during Obama's presidency. Come on !!
nothing to do with Trump. It was a commitment they made a while back...also Trump hasn't been president for 4 years. get it right or delete your account.
Or maybe in response to Russian continued aggression
WaPo - Fix Your Headline!
Thank you GREAT PRESIDENT TRUMP saving real American taxpayer's money
Well, since he’s been president for two years, maybe his name in the article’s title is misleading?
POTUS WhiteHouse realDonaldTrump The increase this year is the 4th year in a row and is in line with an agreement reached under the Obama administration. Trump had nothing to do with it.
You mean the commitments they made before tRUMP?!!!!!!!!!!
About damn time!
Because of Trump WaPo! Orange Man not always bad! Jesus! WaPoSucksMonkeyAss TheDeepStateNews TheGlobalistPost
There is another way. World peace and freedom. No more guns and $trillions squandered each year.
Except for Germany. Those Nazis should be kicked out of NATO!
Too bad the Republicans can't put forward a candidate who could actually fix issues like and at the same time not be a huge lying piece of shit
Country buy what they need for defense not what US says. US what 24 trillion dollar debt?
So... Why are you crediting DJT for something that started TWO YEARS before he was President?
Who da' president? WINNING! I'm so tired of it.
About time we have a president with conviction to security.
Good, and they need to keep increasing it
But.... Orange man bad!? Who are they defending against? Russia!! 😂
Good. Now Trump has no excuse to abandon our EU allies and NATO.
Let's do some simple math. Trump has been in office 2 years. NATO has increased spending 4 years in a row. Ipso facto, the increase in spending isn't solely because of Trump pressure, it was happening prior to him. Do better.
Since when has Trump been president for four years? How about reporting that NATO members continue to increase their spending as agreed to, for the fourth year in a row? And maybe mention who was president when the agreement was signed?
Must have hurt someone's Soul at the Washpost, for them to write this
Actually this yearly increase is thanks to president Obama
Fourth year? But that would mean they had since before Trump was elected! That can't be right!
Great. One more thing the last President started that this one will take credit for. TaxReturnsNow
Or: NATO members continue hitting the commitments they made before Trump's election.
President Trump always delivers.
Trump is getting the job done while media, liberals, neocons and RINOs yell and scream.
Good trump.
This is idiotic. 4 years ago Trump wasn’t in office and these increases were scheduled.
Maths
Trump pressure? or Trump being crazy and NATO knows they cant rely on crazy.
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