Angela Merkel and European leaders resist Donald Trump's ultimatum to increase defence spending....

[JHan]

...or risk losing NATO Committment.

Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Mr Mattis, a retired US Marine general, said Europe now faced “threat on multiple fronts as the arc of instability builds on Nato’s periphery and beyond".

But Mr Juncker said he was “very much against letting ourselves be pushed into "an increase in defence spending.

He said: “I don't like our American friends narrowing down this concept of security to the military.” Germany would lose its budget surplus if it increased defence spending to two per cent of GDP from 1.22 per cent, he said.

He went on: “If you look at what Europe is doing in defence, plus development aid, plus humanitarian aid, the comparison with the United States looks rather different. Modern politics cannot just be about raising defence spending.”

*SNIP*

Nato guidelines call for all members of the collective defence alliance to spend two per cent of GDP on military budgets.

But in reality only five - America, Britain, Greece, Estonia and Poland - do so, while some, including Italy and Spain, spend half that.

Mrs Merkel said her country would stick to its long-term commitment to raise defence spending by the middle of the next decade.

She said that “Germany is conscious of its responsibility" to spend more on arms, but added other issues were also important for global security.

*SNIP*

Mrs Merkel said Germany had increased defence spending by eight per cent in this year's budget over last year.

She said: "We must do more here, no question, but the matters of development aid and crisis prevention are also important.

Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said Mr Mattis had been “uncompromising” in his message to European leaders to “step up”.

Meanwhile Germany's defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, acknowledged that her country would in future be unable to step back and rely on American protection.

She said: “From the German point of view, our traditional reflex of relying above all on our American friends' vigour and ducking away when things really get tight ... will no longer be enough."

And von der Leven's response to Trump lumping Russia with NATO allies was even more to the point: “There cannot be a policy of equidistance to allies and to those who openly question our values, our borders and international law.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/02/17/european-leaders-resist-trumps-ultimatum-increase-defence-spending/

So this is what "winning" looks like.