Spanish Fly and NATO
UPDATE 25 Jun - NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told U.S. President Donald Trump, ‘Your leadership made this possible.’
Spanish fly is one of the oldest and most well-known aphrodisiacs... And NATO just may be needing such to get their members to provide 5% of their GDP for increased defense spending.
Spanish Prime Minister Rejects NATO’s Call for Increased Defense Spending
The annual NATO leaders’ summit is scheduled for June 24th and 25th in The Hague, Netherlands.
This meeting marks the first gathering for NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in his role as the political leader of NATO.
It is also the first NATO leaders meeting featuring President Donald Trump during his second term.
This year’s summit has been shortened by one day compared to previous meetings and has one overarching goal: to reach an agreement on increasing defense spending, a priority for both President Trump and Secretary Rutte within the defense organization.
However, this week, that goal appears to be in doubt.
President Trump, much to the consternation and anxiety of most NATO leaders, has publicly announced his intent to implement the long-delayed Asian pivot aimed at countering the increasing threats posed by China.
As a result, the United States will prioritize Asia over European defense.
The anxiety among NATO leaders does not primarily stem from the announcement of the Asian pivot itself, as this has been a defense policy goal since President Obama’s administration.
Although European leaders did not fully embrace this shift, they grudgingly accepted it, as they were reluctant to publicly challenge the U.S. president at that time.
The current concern is that the Ukraine War persists, and NATO, despite increasing defense spending since the conflict began, has little to show for it.
A significant portion of the defense budget increases is allocated to military aid for Ukraine, coupled with inflationary pressures stemming from heightened demand in defense procurement.
Additionally, there are delays associated with the time it takes for budgeting, production, procurement, and deployment processes.
The potential reduction of U.S. defense commitments raises alarms, particularly as Europe continues to lag in military capabilities and, consequently, in deterrence, without a robust U.S. military presence and a U.S. defense policy that prioritizes European security.
The anxiety among NATO, the European Union, and their member states centers on…
UPDATE - 25 Jun 2025
NATO Members Endorse 5% Defense Spending Target
On Wednesday, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte told U.S. President Donald Trump, ‘Your leadership made this possible.’
