Trump Urges NATO Allies to Spend 5% of GDP on Defense – Excludes the U.S.
U.S. President Donald Trump has reignited debate over NATO defense spending, asserting that all Alliance members, except the U.S., should commit at least 5% of their GDP to defense.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to Fox News.
Speaking to reporters, Trump reiterated his frequent criticism of what he views as America’s outsized financial role in NATO, insisting that other countries must significantly increase their contributions.
“I don’t think we [the U.S.] should be doing it,” Trump said. “But I absolutely believe NATO countries should. We’ve supported NATO for so many years, sometimes it feels like we’re covering nearly all the costs. So no, I don’t think it’s our responsibility anymore. But NATO countries? Absolutely.”
His comments come amid growing internal friction within the Alliance, sparked by Spain’s recent pushback against a proposal to raise collective defense spending targets.
Madrid has voiced opposition to a draft agreement that would increase NATO’s overall defense guideline to 3.5% of GDP, including a 1.5% allocation for related security expenditures.
Asked about Spain’s resistance, Trump didn’t mince words. “Spain has always contributed very little. That’s been the case for years,” he said.
Trump also singled out Canada, echoing a frequent point of contention from his presidency.
“You know who else contributes the least? Canada. They’ve always counted on the U.S. to defend them for free. They say, ‘Why pay when the United States will protect us anyway?’”
Earlier this week, Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez sent a letter to incoming NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte urging him to consider a “more flexible formula” for calculating defense spending.
The proposal has triggered concern among other NATO members, who fear it could derail fragile negotiations aimed at appeasing Trump’s demands ahead of the upcoming summit.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that NATO’s permanent representatives held an emergency meeting on Friday, June 20, to address Spain’s objections and seek a path forward.
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