Brussels: United States Defence Secretary Robert Gates has warned that most NATO countries lack military capabilities.
Delivering a final policy address at European allies on Friday, Gates said NATO risks “collective military irrelevance” unless they bear more of the burden and boost military spending.
Gates, who is likely to be retired at the end of this month, said that NATO-led operations in Afghanistan and Libya had exposed significant shortcomings in military capabilities and political will among the allies.
With the US facing painful budget slashes at home as President Obama grapples with a $1.4 trillion deficit, he warned that US lawmakers may begin to question the 75 percent share that Washington pays in NATO defence spending.
This meant there was “a real possibility for a dim, if not dismal future for the transatlantic alliance”, he said.
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