Last week, I noted that the recent crisis in the Ukraine adds urgency to the need for other NATO countries to spend more on defense and improving technology. In light of that, the Ukraine and other Baltic states are taking a look at their own defense spending.
The Ukraine has decided to set aside an additional $697 million USD in defense spending to mobilize troops, modernize weapons and improve the operational capacities of the country’s armed forces, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said, adding that “Today we are talking about protecting our country. All other expenses are not worth anything if the Ukrainian Army, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are not able to protect the state.” The Ukraine already spends approximately 1.2 billion on defense spending, with a military of 144,000 troops. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Ukraine has underinvested in its troops. The Ukraine’s defense systems and weaponry are primarily of Russian origin, and some outdated technology, such as most of the Ukraine’s tanks, are Soviet-built.
In addition, the states of Lithuania and Latvia are stepping up their defense spending, to meet the level suggested by NATO, from less than 1% of their GDP to 2% by 2020, in a billed signed Sunday by the ruling coalition and opposition. The Czech defense minister also recently called for raising military spending to 1.5 % of their GDP. Estonia already spends the recommended 2%, but with Latvia, has called on NATO to move more defense resources to the region.
It’s clear that the recent events in the Crimea have woken a fear from the Baltic states. Whether Russia intends on invading its neighboring countries is unclear, but the fear of invasion and conflict is very real, and demonstrated by the proposals and actual raises in defense spending from several neighboring states. The actual ability of these states to contribute much to NATO or to sufficiently defend their states alone is mostly negligible, but is symbolic as a contribution to its own defense and as a show of balance of power.
B.F.