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The United States will require NATO member states to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP, similar to the planned US spending. The New York Post reports this, citing US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
According to him, Donald Trump intends to insist on increased investment in defence by allies, as the Alliance must be prepared for possible threats.
“With the biggest conflict since the Second World War on the horizon, it is time for Europe to demonstrate its commitment to our Alliance by increasing its spending to at least 5% of GDP. We will continue to have direct and frank conversations to get NATO Allies to increase their share of the burden,” said Waltz.
Pressure on European allies
US Special Representative Rick Grenell also stressed that under-spending on defence in some NATO countries could undermine the stability of the Alliance.
“It is dangerous to undermine NATO by not paying its fair share of its obligations,” he stressed.
As a reminder, back in 2014, NATO countries agreed to increase defence spending to 2% of GDP, but eight countries have not yet reached this level.
What would an increase in spending to 5% of GDP mean?
Currently, US spending on NATO is 3.08% of GDP. If Washington manages to increase it to 5%, it will mean additional funding for the Alliance of more than $600 billion.
Earlier, Trump had repeatedly criticised European allies for insufficient defence funding, believing that the US bears a disproportionate financial burden in ensuring the security of the Alliance.
It is expected that the topic of increasing military spending will be central to the next NATO summit, which will take place in the near future.
