NATO: Burdens, Spending, and Structure
As a new feature of Defence and Peace Economics, we plan from time to time to reach into the “vaults” of the journal and put together eight to ten articles on a topic that has great current significance. Such virtual issues highlight how our authors’ articles throw light on issues of pressing concern. Given the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the NATO alliance has assumed an enhanced importance. NATO, formed in 1949, has grown from its 12 founding countries to its current membership of 30 countries. During 1999–2020, NATO expanded from 16 to 30 members – an 87.5% expansion. In 1999, NATO admitted the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland; in 2004; NATO took in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovakia; and in 2009, NATO allowed Albania to join. Montenegro entered in 2017, followed by North Macedonia in 2020. With the admission of ex-Soviet Union states, Putin perceived NATO as a hostile presence that was closing in with each new member. However, NATO is a defensive alliance with no apparent interest in attacking Russia. Putin’s perception is ironic because the decades following the collapse of the Soviet Union saw large decreases in most NATO allies’ percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) devoted to defense spending as many allies took advantage of the “peace dividend.” The prospect of Ukraine joining NATO irritated Putin greatly even though this ascension was probably ten or more years in the future in February 2022, if ever. Ironically, Putin’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine has brought NATO together like nothing else since 1991, with countries such as Germany pledging huge increases in their defense spending. In June 2022, Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership. A once-divided Western Europe has found a common purpose: protect against Russian aggression. The chosen articles enlighten the reader about NATO burden sharing, defense demand, the 2% burden sharing rule, and the publicness of defense.
Edited by
Todd Sandler(Chair Emeritus of Economics and Political Economy, University of Texas at Dallas)