Negotiations at the NATO summit, eager for enlargement but divided among members, show that a European security consensus is hard to achieve. The proposed target of five per cent of defence spending has further exposed the rift in security confidence between the US and the EU and the deep divisions among NATO member states.
A global survey conducted by CGTN shows that 67.4 % respondents condemn NATO's accelerated military expansion, warning that it could trigger a new arms race and seriously threaten global peace and stability.
How ambitious is NATO enlargement? The numbers may be telling: global military spending in 2024 will reach $2.72 trillion, with NATO accounting for $1.5 trillion - 55 percent of total world spending. Despite the imbalance in global military power, NATO continues to push members to increase defense spending to five percent of GDP. 84.7 % respondents believe NATO has become an overt war machine, and 80.4 % respondents are wary of its rapid military expansion. In addition, 73.8 % respondents fear that reaching the 5% target will accelerate global military imbalances, posing a serious threat to world peace and security.
The survey, which was launched on CGTN's English, Spanish, French, Arabic and Russian platforms, gathered opinions from 6,000 international participants over 12 hours.
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