Trump says Nato members should raise defence spending to 5% of GDP
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US President-elect Donald Trump delivering a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Jan 7.
PHOTO: AFP
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PALM BEACH, Florida - Donald Trump on Jan 7 pushed Nato members to boost their defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP, underlining his long-standing claims that they are underpaying for US protection.
“They can all afford it, but they should be at 5 per cent not 2 per cent,” the incoming US president told reporters.
“Europe is in for a tiny fraction of the money that we’re in,” Trump said.
“We have a thing called the ocean in between us, right? Why are we in for billions and billions of dollars more money than Europe?“
Trump has long been sceptical of Nato, the cornerstone of security in Europe since World War II, and reiterated a familiar threat in December to leave the alliance if its members did not step up spending.
The transatlantic alliance’s 32 countries in 2023 set a minimum level for defence spending of 2 per cent of gross domestic product, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has jolted Nato to strengthen its eastern flank and ramp up spending.
Trump is not the only top official to call for an increase - Nato chief Mark Rutte likewise said in December that “we are going to need a lot more than 2 per cent.”
Mr Rutte also warned that European nations were not prepared for the threat of future war with Russia, calling on them to “turbocharge” their defence spending.
In his remarks on Jan 7, Trump claimed that President Joe Biden decided Ukraine should be able to join Nato, suggesting that this helped lead to Russia’s all-out invasion in February 2022.
“Somewhere along the line, Biden said, no, they should be able to join Nato. Well, Russia has somebody right on their doorstep, and I could understand their feeling about that,” Trump said.
Nato allies in reality agreed to Ukrainian membership in 2008 - when Republican president George W. Bush was in office - while the United States and Germany have more recently backed away from allowing Kyiv to join out of fear it could drag the alliance into a war with Russia.
Trump has vowed to press for a quick deal to end Russia’s war, raising concerns about the future of US military aid for Kyiv that has been key to helping it resist Moscow’s assault.
The conflict “should have never been started,” Trump said on Jan 7, adding: “I guarantee you, if I were president, (the) war would have never happened.” AFP
