Hungary will increase its defense spending gradually to 2 percent of its economic output by 2026 from 0.95 percent now, Defense Minister Istvan Simicsko said Thursday.
Hungary, which joined NATO in 1999, spends less on defense than other eastern European members Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria.
Although military spending among NATO members has increased because of Russia’s annexation of Crimea and the crisis in Ukraine, only Britain, Poland, Greece and Estonia meet the goal of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense.
Trump effect
Top NATO and European military officials have called for higher spending after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump …read more
Source: Voice of America
