Czech Republic's defense spending under fire from US ambassador to NATO

United States ambassador to NATO has criticized the Czech Republic for not spending enough on defense. Matthew Whitaker has expressed disappointment over the country's progress towards meeting its NATO commitment. He says the Czech Republic is trending towards the bottom of the alliance in defense spending. Whitaker met Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and emphasized the need for increased spending. Despite pressure, the Czech budget allocates less than 1.8% of GDP for defense this year.

Populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš promises to reach 2% next year. NATO members committed to at least 2% in 2014, with future targets set at 5%.

Read the original report at Apnews.