Part 3/10:
The landscape began changing anew in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, leading NATO members to commit to an informal defense spending target of 2% of GDP. Eastern European countries—particularly those bordering Russia—showed a strong inclination to increase their military budgets, but it wasn't until the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 that NATO countries collectively increased their defense spending by an unprecedented 18%. This year, it is expected that two-thirds of the alliance—23 out of 32 members—will meet the 2% commitment, a significant rise from just 10 countries in 2023.