NATO members need to bridge the spending gap and close the capabilities gaps, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during his second Annual Report on 31 January 2013.

NATO’s Secretary General Anders Fosh Rasmussen yesterday reiterated concerns shared by the US that some member states of NATO are falling behind militarily due to decreases in defense spending . . . Rasmussen indicated that the continuing decline and uneven spending levels could potentially damage NATO . . . only three NATO members, the US, UK, and Greece, spend two percent or more of GDP annually on defense . . . slow economic growth, austerity measures and deficit reduction plans have contributed to decreased military spending by NATO members . . .  even so, the failure to bridge the spending gap could undermine the effectiveness of NATOs collective military capabilities . . . if the pattern is not reversed and the growing disparity continues, it could also threaten political unity within NATO.

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