Trump threatens to withdraw aid – according to the expert, Switzerland should also tremble: these are the defaulting NATO states

Countries such as Denmark, Spain, Portugal, but also Eastern European countries such as Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovenia are still far from the goal. In particular, the states directly bordering Russia and Belarus, such as Poland and the Baltic states, have clearly exceeded the two percent limit.

Germany, which has made massive cuts in military spending in recent years, is also still halfway there. As recently as 2019, German SPD vice-chairman Ralf Stegner (64) said: “We have other concerns in Germany than pointless rearmament.” That has changed enormously. The Ministry of Defense writes today: “It is the top priority of the federal government to further strengthen the defense capacity of the Bundeswehr.” Despite the tense financial situation, Germany wants to fulfill its obligations to NATO and make its two percent contribution to GDP from 2024.

Without the US, NATO is a skeleton team. NATO expert Mauro Mantovani (60) from the ETH Military Academy: “The NATO states without the US would be weak and would not be able to deter a Russian invasion on their own.” However, there would still be no “rush of the Russian army”, because after two years in Ukraine it was at least half worn out, Mantovani says.

NATO would hardly help Switzerland

If Switzerland were a member of NATO, its military investment relative to GDP would be near the bottom of the rankings. In 2030, the value must be increased from the current 0.8 to 1 percent. “Switzerland has neglected investments, especially in the military and in ground air defense,” Mantovani said.

Switzerland should not be dependent on NATO protection, says expert. “NATO protects Switzerland only partially and indirectly by preventing Moscow from violating NATO’s eastern border. However, if Moscow uses ballistic missiles against targets in Switzerland, I would not count on a response from NATO.”

Mantovani also wanted the two percent target for Switzerland. “But it seems to me unrealistic in terms of domestic policy, because there is a lack of willingness among the parties to make cuts elsewhere or to raise taxes for this.”

He describes Trump’s threat as a ‘wake-up call to the delinquent NATO partners in Europe’, but at the same time as a signal to his electorate, who are convinced that the Europeans are only too happy to hand over the unpopular ‘warfare’ to them. leave. the US and in return treated itself to even more ‘prosperity’ (in German: ‘prosperity’).

Talk to Trump now!

For Wolfgang Ischinger (77), head of the Munich Security Conference from 2008 to 2022, there is only one thing to do. “Europeans must shed their reputation as cheap free riders when it comes to security policies and show that they are willing to do more for their own security.” He said this in the SRF program “Gredig Direkt” during the WEF.

Ischinger demands that Europe now prepares for a possible new Trump administration and therefore contacts him and his Republican Party. “You have to explain to him that American security interests are also represented in Ukraine and that Europe is doing a lot to make Ukraine defensive.”