President-elect Donald Trump is expected to push the United States’s NATO allies to increase its defense spending when he returns to the White House next month.
Every member of the NATO alliance is expected to spend at least 2% of the GDP on defense, but as of 2024, only 23 of the 32 allies met the benchmark. Many officials, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, have argued that the minimum should be raised, but only five countries exceeded 3% this year: Poland (4.12%), Estonia (3.43%), the U.S. (3.38%), Latvia (3.15%), and Greece (3.08%)
Trump’s circle told European officials that he will urge the alliance more than double the minimum to 5%, but would settle for a 3.5% requirement, according to the Financial Times.
“President Trump believes European nations should meet their NATO defense spending obligations and step up their share of the burden for this conflict, as the U.S. has paid significantly more, which is not fair to our taxpayers,” Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told the Washington Examiner. “He will do what is necessary to restore peace and rebuild American strength and deterrence on the world stage.”
Trump threatened on the campaign trail not to defend “delinquent” countries, even though the alliance is founded on the principle, known as Article 5, that an attack on any member must be considered an attack on them all.
Earlier this month, Rutte said 2% defense spending is not enough to deter possible adversaries.
“If you want to keep the deterrence at the present level, 2% is not enough,” he said, chairing a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels. “We can now defend ourselves, and nobody should try to attack us. But I want that to stay the same in four or five years.”
The incoming president is expected to seek a quick diplomatic resolution to Russia’s war in Ukraine, even if the terms come at Ukraine’s expense. He may, however, continue to provide Ukraine with arms, the FT reported.
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On Thursday, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said he’s “ready” to meet with Trump “at any time” to discuss a possible end of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said the same day, “We need very much unity between the United States and EU and countries of Europe. We need this unity to achieve peace,” before his address to European Union leaders at the start of an EU summit. “I think only together the United States and Europe can really stop Putin and save Ukraine.”