By the numbers: Russian threat boosts NATO defense spending

While several EU countries still fail to meet the NATO target — some spectacularly so — every country bordering Russia or Ukraine does meet it, according to NATO data. The U.S. and Greece also surpass that 2 percent threshold.

A comparison of NATO members' defense expenditures in 2014 — when the alliance set the 2 percent target — with their estimated spend in 2023 shows that almost all countries are setting aside more money for defense.

Poland, a front-line state bordering Russia, Ukraine and Russian ally Belarus, has seen the biggest spending leap, jumping from 1.9 percent of GDP in 2014 to 3.9 percent last year. That makes it the top spender per GDP among the 31 countries in NATO.