The pugnacious politician has called a Nato defence spending target being pushed by the US “completely unrealistic” for Germany. At a Nato summit in Wales in 2014 Nato members committed to working towards a goal of 2 percent of each state’s GDP being spent on their military by 2024. But Gabriel said that no other country could demand of Germany that it spends 2 percent of GDP on its its military. Nato members had only agreed to work towards this goal, he insisted. German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen stuck a more emollient tone though.

Source: The Local March 31, 2017 15:22 UTC