LONDON \u2014 Defense spending by NATO countries continues to decline in real terms, according to figures released by the alliance ahead of a meeting of defense ministers starting Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rate of decline slowed from a 3.9 percent fall in 2014 to an estimated 1.5 percent reduction this year, taking overall spending by the 28-nation alliance down to about US $893 billion, according to alliance figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters Monday that June 22 <\/span> the alliance was facing “more challenges and couldn’t do more with less indefinitely.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n The alliance was able to name just four member nations that met alliance spending targets last year as it released its latest financial and economic data for 2014 and estimates for 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last year, Britain, Estonia, Greece and the US were the only members of the alliance <\/span>to meet the goal of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to estimates, the situation is things are <\/span>unlikely to improve much this year, either<\/span> with only Poland set to join the 2 percent club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With a nervous eye on Russian aggression in the Crimea and eastern Ukraine, Warsaw is increasing spending from 1.8 percent of GDP in 2014 to 2.2 percent this year, according to the just-released NATO figures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The worst offenders were Belgium, Luxembourg, Hungary and Spain, none of which reached even managed defense spending of even <\/span>1 percent of GDP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The NATO members <\/span>poor defense spending record is expected to be on the agenda when the NATO <\/span>defense ministers meet. starting June 24.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Boosting rapid reaction forces <\/span>capabilities is likely to be another item on the discussion list. over the next couple of days<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n Prompted by the British and others, alliance members at the NATO summit in Newport, Wales, last September pledged to meet the 2 percent target, and although 18 nations reported minor budget increases for this year the spending trend overall continues to fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The British, in particular, have run into severe difficulty over the 2 percent pledge. The NATO figures show the British at 2.1 percent of GDP, just meeting its commitment for this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Conservative government in London, though, has repeatedly refused to commit to meeting the target next year and beyond as Chancellor George Osborne looks for cuts across a number of departments as part of a campaign <\/span>to improve public finances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, according to the BBC, it appears the government is planning to assign the entire \u00a31 billion (US $1.6 billion) cross-departmental Conflict Stability and Security Fund to the UK defense budget in an attempt to meet the 2 percent figure for next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The fund is available for peacekeeping and other missions and is managed by the Foreign Office, the Department for International Development and the MoD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n About \u00a3450 million of the fund is provided by the MoD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Switching the entire fund to the MoD budget has been approved by NATO, according to the BBC<\/p>\n\n\n\n “As with other NATO member states, from time to time the UK makes updates to ensure defence spending is categorised fully in accordance with NATO guidelines and what it says should be included,” said the MoD in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n