All NATO member states must allocate 2% for defense before deciding on increasing defense spending - Reizniece-Ozola

RIGA - Before a decision is made on increasing defense spending even more, all NATO member states must first reach the two percent of GDP spending level, Finance Minister Dana Reizniece-Ozola told LETA.

During this week's NATO Summit, U.S. President Donald Trump said that NATO member states must reach defense spending levels of four percent of GDP, not just the current recommended level of two percent of GDP.

Reizniece-Ozola said that before such a decision is made, all NATO member states must first reach the two percent of GDP spending level.

''We must first get confirmation that all alliance members are serious about defense spending. If they all finally meet the two percent level of defense spending, then we can begin discussing increasing defense spending even more,'' she said.

Latvia is one of the handful of NATO member states which spends two percent of GDP on defense.