NATO countries disagree with Trump's proposal

NATO countries have expressed disagreement with US President Donald Trump's proposal to increase military spending to 5% of GDP. This was reported by Reuters.

Possible changes

Although the idea of raising defence expenditure is being discussed, the figures under consideration are much lower. According to sources, the alliance is considering raising the target to 3% of GDP, which would already pose a significant challenge for most members struggling to reach the current 2% level. A final decision is expected to be made at the June NATO summit in The Hague.

Economic unfeasibility

Analysts polled by Reuters believe that the 5% of GDP requirement is economically and politically unrealistic for most alliance countries, as it would require hundreds of billions of dollars in additional funding.

Poland incurred the highest defence spending among NATO members in 2023 — 4.12% of GDP. Estonia came in second with 3.43%, followed by the US at 3.38%. Nevertheless, eight NATO countries have yet to meet the established 2% target.

Background

During his first presidential term, Trump insisted on increasing NATO countries' military spending to 2% of GDP. After being re-elected in November 2024, he raised the issue again, stating in December that each alliance member state should allocate at least 5% of GDP to defence annually.

Current situation

In recent years, particularly since the start of the war in Ukraine, military spending in most NATO countries has increased. Currently, 25 of the alliance's 32 countries have exceeded the 2% of GDP mark. However, this target remains advisory and is not legally binding.