MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Citing provisional 2016 data shared with the military alliance "on a confidential basis," the publication noted a downward trend in defense spending among NATO members since 2008.
In 2015, NATO’s European members spent a combined $253 billion on defense while the United States allocated $618 billion. Stoltenberg appealed for the United Kingdom to remain part of the European Union as key to unity and stability.
"The forecast for 2016, based on figures from allied nations, indicates that 2016 will be the first year with increased defence spending among European allies for the first time in many, many years," Stoltenberg said in an interview with The Financial Times daily.
"The UK is the largest European provider of defence capabilities in Nato, [it has] the biggest defence spending, it has the biggest defence investments … second only to the United States in the whole alliance," he stressed.
