U.S. and Allied Burden Sharing: A Progress Report
The report finds that U.S. allies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific have significantly increased defense spending and pursued industrial collaboration since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. European NATO countries and Canada have seen defense spending grow by over 50 percent since 2022, with Poland, the Baltics, and Scandinavia increasing by 71, 134, and 126 percent respectively. Asia-Pacific partners have also raised expenditures, with Japan increasing by 60 percent over the past decade, though industrial collaboration efforts outside AUKUS remain more aspirational than real.
Why it matters: This report directly addresses the theme of allied burden sharing, showing that allies are adapting their defense postures and increasing spending, which is central to the collective deterrence and industrial capacity discussions in the briefing.