Former US President Donald Trump's recent assertion that he would abandon NATO countries that are unwilling to cover the alliance's operational costs as Commander-in-Chief startled Western leaders. However, a Washington Post report highlights that the primary backers of Ukraine in its current conflict, offering increasingly generous aid to Kyiv, are falling short of the defense spending goals set by the organization.

Founded after the Second World War, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) aims to ensure that with support from Canada and the United States, Western Europe can defend itself against the Soviet Union. Despite the expansion of the alliance to 31 members following the fall of the Eastern Bloc, its operational principle remains unchanged: member states agree to allocate at least 2 percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually to defense, sharing the costs of running the organization proportionally.

This commitment, however, serves as a guideline rather than a mandatory requirement. Countries that felt most secure gradually reduced their military investments. According to NATO's statistics, last year only 11 countries met or surpassed the set level. Contradicting Trump's remarks, a significant portion of these are either neighboring Russia or situated near the Ukrainian frontline.

Poland stands as a prime example bordering Ukraine, Kaliningrad, and Belarus it spent 3.9 percent of its GDP on defense last year, the highest proportion among member states. While the United States may overshadow the alliance with its $860 billion military budget, ranking second, most Eastern and Central European countries also fulfill their obligations extensively.

For instance, Hungary ranks eighth, trailing behind vulnerable states like Estonia, Lithuania, and the rapidly militarizing Romania, allocating 2.43 percent of its GDP to bolstering its defense.

However, countries further removed from Russia have been less diligent, failing to reach the 2 percent minimum threshold last year, even while continuously supporting Ukraine. Germany, Italy, and Canada underperformed despite being among the world's largest economies with GDPs exceeding one trillion dollars. Others, such as Luxembourg, due to limited military forces and defense industry capabilities, are unable to achieve the benchmark.

Since the annexation of Crimea by Russia in 2014, nearly all NATO members have increased their defense spending, with the number of countries meeting the 2 percent target steadily rising.

Newcomers also contribute their share to the alliance: Finland hovers around Hungary's level, and Sweden, hopeful of accession, has committed to spending 2.1 percent of its GDP on defense.

Trump's remarks sting as the war-affected countries are amply fulfilling their duties while Western member states though economically robust and officially Ukraine's staunchest supporters fall short of expected standards.

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