Donald Trump, the U.S. President-elect, stated that NATO member countries should bear defense costs equaling 5% of their GDP.
In his second press conference after being elected, held in Mar-a-Lago, Florida on the 7th (local time), Trump mentioned, “They can all afford it,” and said, “It’s not 2%, but 5% that they have to pay.”
He further added, “Europe is only a small part of the situation we are facing,” questioning why the U.S. is paying billions more than Europe when there’s an ocean between us.
Although such remarks were previously reported by the Financial Times (FT) and TASS news agency, the fact that Trump himself suggested the 5% figure is expected to cause significant repercussions.
During his candidacy and campaign, Trump insisted on increasing NATO defense spending, although he had previously mentioned figures around 3%.
In August, he criticized the current 2% guideline as “the steal of the century,” stating NATO countries have been spending less than 2% for years, increasing the burden on the U.S. military.
NATO leaders agreed during the NATO summit in 2023 to invest at least 2% of GDP in defense annually.
Mark Rutte, who became the 14th Secretary-General of NATO last October, was also reported to have said last month, “We need more than 2%,” fueling calls for increased defense spending.
He urged NATO member countries to increase defense spending, claiming that European countries are not prepared for future conflict threats with Russia.
President-elect Trump, who openly criticized NATO during his first term, is scheduled to be inaugurated on the 20th.