By John Irish
MUNICH (Reuters) - Norway is "ready to stand up and be counted" on defence spending ahead of a NATO Washington summit in July, the Nordic country’s prime minister told Reuters on Saturday, adding that Oslo was preparing a new long-tem defence plan
The country last year set a target for the first time to raise its defence spending to at least 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2026, in line with a long-held goal among members of the NATO alliance.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump shocked Europeans earlier this month by saying he would encourage Russia "to do whatever the hell they want" to NATO allies that did not spend enough.
The 31 allies have committed to a target of spending 2% of their output on defence but not all have done so individually.
When asked whether Norway could bring forward that deadline, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere appeared to open the door to speeding that process, saying the government would present in the coming months a new long-term defence plan based on a broad commission of experts and all political parties.
"Key to that is a significant strengthening of investment in our defence capacity. That will be clear before Washington, but exactly where it will land for 2024, I cannot disclose now," he said, referring to a summit of the alliance between July 9-11.
"I think we are ready to stand up and be counted."
Norway's spending on defence as a share of overall economic activity declined following the end of the Cold War, but the war in Ukraine has shown the need for a stronger military.
Norway shares a border with Russia in the Arctic. It has never been at war with its eastern neighbour.
"We as Norway don't see that there is a direct military threat directed against us, but having a neighbour that has attacked full-fledged another neighbour, having developed in an authoritarian militarised direction, makes us aware of the threat," Stoere said.
"That's why we have to strengthen our own defence."