Should the U.K. defend other NATO countries that maintain low military defense budgets relative to their GDP?
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an intergovernmental military alliance formed by 28 countries in 1949 after the Second World War. To join NATO each member country pledged to spend at least 2% of their GDP on military spending and defense and defend each other against threats from any non-member country. In a July 2016 interview with the New York Times Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump suggested that the United States would not defend NATO member countries who had failed to increase their military budgets to above 2% of Gross Domestic Product. The suggestion defie…
Read more68% Yes |
32% No |
54% Yes |
25% No |
14% Yes, and refusing to defend other NATO countries sets a dangerous precedent for the balance of global power |
4% No, we should not defend any NATO country that spends less than 2% of their GDP on military defense |
2% No, and we should withdraw from NATO |
See how support for each position on “NATO” has changed over time for 80.9k UK voters.
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See how importance of “NATO” has changed over time for 80.9k UK voters.
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Unique answers from UK users whose views extended beyond the provided choices.
@9R5RJLR7 days7D
NATO membership should be contingent on the same percentage spending - therefore all should support each other ’
@9Q7MSVH4wks4W
Maintain defence but raise their requirements over time to a minimum standard when financial capable
@9QC2V783wks3W
NO. Like most NATO is old and out of date for the modern world. Time for a newer World Treaty Organization!
@9Q98P7J3wks3W
Yes, but at the same time, encourage that Country to up it's share to 2% of their GDP otherwise funding will be pulled.
@9Q953CS3wks3W
You cannot mandate arbiterially the amount a country should spend as their are economics of scale. However, countries should layout what they can afford and how much they will spend to protect themselves and others if they are part of a security pact, and this should be conditional to membership - if they fail to meet a stated obligation, then they are on their own should another country engage militarily with them.
@9PQRKN81mo1MO
I think this has to be considered case by case but in principle I think we should defend nato countries from invasion and attack.
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