Donald Trump Urges NATO To Surge Defense To 5 Percent Of GDP

Donald Trump, on Tuesday, urged NATO members to significantly increase their defense spending, pushing for a target of 5% of their GDP, more than double the current minimum of 2%. He emphasized that NATO countries can afford this increase and questioned why the U.S. contributes billions more than European nations, given the geographical distance between the U.S. and Europe.

Trump, a long-time critic of NATO, reiterated his belief that the alliance’s members are not paying their fair share for U.S. protection, a stance he has held throughout his political career. In the past, he has even threatened to withdraw the U.S. from NATO if European nations did not boost their defense budgets.

NATO, which has 32 member countries, set the 2% defense spending target in 2014, but the war in Ukraine has spurred a renewed urgency among alliance members to strengthen their defenses. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte echoed Trump’s call last month, stating that the alliance would need to exceed 2% spending to effectively counter future threats, particularly from Russia.

Trump also weighed in on the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, suggesting that President Joe Biden’s support for Ukraine’s potential NATO membership contributed to Russia’s decision to invade in February 2022. However, NATO allies, including the U.S., agreed to Ukraine’s membership as early as 2008 under President George W. Bush, although both the U.S. and Germany have since backed away from offering immediate membership due to concerns about provoking Russia.

Trump has expressed a desire for a swift resolution to the Russia-Ukraine war, asserting that the conflict would never have occurred under his leadership. His comments have raised questions about the future of U.S. support for Ukraine, especially military aid, which has been crucial in helping the country defend itself against Russia’s invasion.

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