Context
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has warned that continuing disparity in European and US defense spending could result in a “two-tiered” coalition in which European and American forces wouldn’t be able to combat effectively together. In an interview with Guardian, Rasmussen reiterated the concerns expressed by US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates last week over the strains facing NATO due to disproportionate burden-sharing. “Ten years ago US defense investment represented almost half of all defense expenditure in the whole alliance. Today it is 75%,” said Rasmussen, adding that this trend could weaken the alliance in the long run.