OTAN/NATO

Reports from the NATO meeting held May 25 put the accent on
financing. The countries did agree on NATO joining the fight in Syria, but
many individual members are already in on it as individual states.  Upping the
contribution to Defense to 2% of GNP also appears arduous for some countries.

The decision taken at the 2014 summit with respect to 2% of national

wealth to be reached by 2024 seems to have seen some implementation.
According to NATO, cumulated budgets have gone up by 3.8 % for 2016,
some 10 billion additional Euros. For 2017, between 7 and 10 countries
should attain the desired 2%. And NATO now has, for the first time in
a long time, means to meet objectives for equipment.

'If Canada and European countries were to go to 2 %, they would end up

spending 100 billion more per year for Defense, argues early May before
l'Institut français des relations internationales, Camille Grand, assistant
secretary general. It would be a real game changer, with Germany liable
for one third of the 100 billion.' Germany(1.2%) plans to spend more, but
refuses to go to 2 %, citing it already spends a great deal on development.


Difficult for me  to comment on the funding question.

http://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2017/05/25/donald-trump-decroche-l-engagement-de-l-otan-dans-la-coalition-anti-etat-islamique_5133765_3210.html

http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/20/news/nato-funding-explained/index.html