The issue over defense expenditure has returned to the forefront of the European agenda, fueled by pressure from US President Donald Trump for European NATO member countries to enhance their financial contributions to collective security. NATO's goal is for each partner countries to devote at least 2% of its GDP to defense, but 2023 data reveal that not everyone has met this pledge. The NATO countries with the largest military spending were Poland (3.83 percent), the United States (3.36 percent), Greece (3.23 percent), Estonia (2.87 percent), and Lithuania (2.72 percent), all of which exceeded the threshold. Other countries surpassed the NATO threshold, including Finland (2.42 percent), the United Kingdom (2.26 percent), and Denmark (1.95 percent). Many other countries, however, stayed below 2%, including Italy (1.61 percent), Spain (1.51 percent), Canada (1.29 percent), Belgium (1.21 percent), and Luxembourg (0.75 percent). By comparison, among non-NATO countries, China has allocated 1.67 percent of GDP to defense, while Russia has reached 5.86 percent.