Donald Trump called on NATO allies to spend at least 5% of their gross domestic product on defense, with the exception of the United States, which, according to him, already contributes too much to this area
Speaking in a recent comment during a talk with journalists, he emphasized that his position concerns specifically the member countries of the Alliance, as in his opinion, the United States already spends significantly more of its resources to ensure the security of other members. In particular, Trump stated: “I don’t think the United States should increase its contributions further. But I believe it’s mandatory for other countries. We have been supporting NATO for many years and are essentially funding a larger part of its budget. In many cases, perhaps, we have paid nearly 100% of all costs — and therefore, in my opinion, the U.S. should not make additional payments. Instead, the member countries must fulfill their obligations. Accordingly, everyone — except the U.S. — should contribute at least 5% of their GDP to defense; otherwise, there’s nothing more to discuss.” The journalist asked the president what he thinks about Spain’s position, which this week expressed opposition to NATO’s plan to increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP, as well as military expenditure — to 1.5%. Here, Trump could not hold back and, in his style, pointed out that “NATO needs to deal with Spain,” because this country has always allocated very meager funds for defense, and, according to the United States, its contributions remain too low. “Spain should pay as much as others — that was always the case. They are known for contributing very little and not fulfilling their obligations. That’s insufficient. They need to be on par with others,” Trump emphasized. He also expressed similar opinions regarding Canada, which, according to him, also fulfills the smallest share of its financial obligations within NATO. “You know who else pays very little? That’s Canada. They used to say, ‘Why should we pay more if the U.S. will protect us for free?’ That’s the wrong position, and we need to change it,” the U.S. president noted. The issue of disagreements over defense spending approaches at a time when the Alliance’s structure is under challenge received widespread media coverage. For instance, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez already sent a letter to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg requesting consideration of a more “flexible” formula for sharing defense costs. This caused concern among other Alliance members, who fear that such an initiative could break consensus and cast doubt on the agreed-upon spending targets. Given the sharp nature of this debate, NATO’s permanent representatives of member countries convened the day before to discuss the situation and find a common solution. Specifically, on Friday, June 20, an urgent meeting was held where they tried to determine whether a certain “flexibility” in financial commitments could be permitted without compromising the integrity and values of the military-political bloc. The issue of increasing defense expenditures and principles of their distribution remains one of the most pressing on NATO’s agenda ahead of upcoming summits. One can only hope that, despite all disagreements and disputes, member countries will find a compromise that satisfies security needs and ensures NATO’s unity. After all, this organization remains a strategic bulwark for the defense of Europe and the North Atlantic region against modern challenges, including local conflicts, terrorist threats, and geopolitical tensions. In the context of these dramatic discussions, it is especially important that all participants maintain cooperation and a commitment to collective defense, to avoid weakening efforts to ensure security for all Western nations.