NATO countries will allocate record funds for defense in 2024, announced NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, reports Reuters. According to the Secretary General, European NATO countries will collectively invest $380 billion in defense this year, resulting in their overall spending reaching around 2% of GDP in 2024 compared to 1.85% in 2023. “I expect 18 allies to spend 2% of their GDP on defence this year,” Stoltenberg noted. He added that overall defense spending would be at a record high following two years of full-scale Russian war against Ukraine. Commenting on criticism from former U…