U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told CNBC that tensions within the alliance are “growing pains,” not a crisis.
“The target is that Europe takes over the conventional defense of the European continent,” he said. “We're not going away, we're just doing less,” Ambassador Whitaker added.
NATO allies are working toward a target of spending 5% of GDP on defense by 2035.
Whitaker noted that current tensions around European governments' defense spending are seen as “growing pains.” “I see these as just the challenges that we've worked through before,” he said.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has stated that the task ahead is “to turn Allied commitments into concrete results” as world leaders meet in Ankara.
