Donald Trump is reportedly urging NATO countries to significantly increase their defense spending, suggesting they raise it to 5% of their national gross domestic product (GDP), more than double the current target of 2%.
According to reports from the Financial Times and The Telegraph, Trump’s team has informed European officials that, following his inauguration on January 20, the U.S. president-elect expects NATO allies to commit to this higher spending threshold.
This request comes as Trump’s team continues to emphasize support for Ukraine, despite previous concerns in Europe regarding the future of U.S. aid to Kyiv under Trump’s leadership. Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance had criticized the Biden administration during the campaign for its extensive military aid to Ukraine.
During his first term, Trump had already suggested that NATO members should aim for 4% of GDP in defense spending. A NATO report from June revealed that 23 out of the 32 member countries were meeting the alliance’s existing 2% target.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has partially aligned with Trump’s position, stating that spending will need to exceed 2% in the future. “We will have to spend more … It will be much more than the 2 percent,” Rutte said during the European Political Community summit in Budapest. He later added, “It is time to shift to a wartime mindset,” with NATO reportedly planning to set a new spending goal of 3% of GDP by 2030.
In a December 8 interview with NBC, Trump stated that the U.S. would remain in NATO “absolutely” as long as its allies “pay their bills,” adding that he would be willing to leave if they failed to meet their financial obligations.
