November 13, 2019
Last week, French President Emmanuel Macron said that NATO was experiencing "brain death," citing a lack of coordination and America's fickleness under Donald Trump as reasons to doubt the alliance's commitment to mutual defense. NATO – the North Atlantic Treaty Organization – was formed in the wake of World War II as a counterweight against Soviet dominance in Europe and beyond. Its cornerstone is that an attack on one member is considered an attack on all. But disagreements over sharing the cost of maintaining military readiness have caused friction between the alliance's members in recent years. In 2014, the bloc agreed that each member state would increase their own defense spending to 2% of their respective GDP over the next decade. But so far, only seven of 29 members have forked out the money. Here's a look at who pays what.
More For You
Medical workers treat injured people at Ameth Bek hospital after a drone strike on a market in the disputed Abyei region along the border between South Sudan and Sudan, October 19, 2026.
REUTERS/Medecins Sans Frontieres
South Sudan is accusing neighboring Sudan of launching a drone strike that killed at least 73 people at a market in Abyei, a disputed, oil-rich region of roughly 4,000 square miles claimed by both countries.
Most Popular
- YouTube
In this Quick Take, Ian Bremmer says President Donald Trump's approach to the war in Ukraine is putting more pressure on President Volodymyr Zelensky and raising concerns among European allies about the future of NATO.
Protesters set up barricades and burn materials near Place de la Republique in Paris, France, on October 18, 2026, the day following a large demonstration.
Jerome Gilles via Reuters Connect
Ongoing student protests in France descended into looting and riots over the weekend as more than half a million people took to the streets across the country.
After his father was killed in a plane crash in 2023, Pavel was tapped to lead Wagner.
© 2025 GZERO Media. All Rights Reserved | A Eurasia Group media company.
