COLLECTIVE SECURITY WITH NON-COLLECTIVE FUNDS: EUROPE'S SUICIDAL RELUCTANCE TO PAY FOR ITS OWN SECURITY

Abstract

The article investigates and compares the contributions of NATO member states to the collective security of the organization, particularly concerning military expenditures over different periods of time. The study examines the ratio of military spending between the United States and other NATO member countries by analyzing NATO's official documentation on the military expenditures of member states across various periods of the Alliance's existence and comparing the obtained results. Open datasets related to the GDP of NATO countries, the ratio of GDP indicators of Alliance countries, and the proportionality of contributions to security through military spending were analyzed. The study compares the GDP ratios of individual NATO member states relative to the total GDP of all NATO countries, demonstrating the disproportionate contribution of the United States to the collective security of the entire Alliance. Publications from think tanks and media outlets, such as the Council on Foreign Relations, Atlantic Council, CNN, and Politico, were analyzed. The study proves the critical security dependence of European NATO members on the military presence and economic power of the United States. Analytical tools were used to construct graphs that clearly illustrate the ratio of military expenditures of NATO states in absolute terms relative to GDP. The research results suggest that European countries are neglecting their obligations to ensure and maintain NATO's collective security, particularly in the matter of financing their own military capabilities. Examples of European countries that have not ignored their NATO obligations regarding military spending—specifically, the Baltic states and Poland—are provided. The article concludes with the fallacy of such policies and the necessity for European NATO members to increase their level of military spending in the face of the threat of military aggression against the Euro-Atlantic region from the russian federation.