The reduction in military spending is a common theme across Europe. Five years ago, according to NATO figures, France’s military budget amounted to 2.4 percent of its G.D.P.; this past year, it stood at 1.9 percent, and France’s budget law orders no increase before 2019. As for Germany, Europe’s economic powerhouse, it spends only 1.3 percent of its G.D.P. on defense.
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