European nations are increasing their military spending, a measure long advocated by their nato ally, the United States. However, this is part of a strategy not to reduce the burden on Americans but to break away from them. An annual nato report released yesterday showed that all members have finally met the 2014 goal of spending 2 percent of their gdp on defense. Defense spending of European nato members and Canada rose 19 percent in 2024, then 19.6 percent in 2025.