USA Trump demands five percent for defense from NATO countries
US President-elect Donald Trump is demanding that NATO member states significantly increase their defense spending. Instead of the previously targeted two percent of their gross domestic product (GDP), the partner countries should invest five percent in future, the Republican said at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, adding: "They can all afford it."
07.01.2025, 19:26
SDA
With this demand, Trump confirmed corresponding media reports from the end of December. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had already indicated that he expected increased pressure from Trump on this issue.
During the election campaign, the Republican had announced that he wanted to campaign within NATO for all alliance members to spend three percent of their gross domestic product on defense in the future. He has now increased his demand even further. The current NATO target only provides for a minimum quota of two percent.
Continuation of the debate from Trump's years in office
During his first term in office (2017 to 2021), Trump threatened to withdraw the USA from the military alliance if the partner countries did not meet their commitment to invest at least two percent of GDP in defense. At his press conference, Trump boasted that it was only because of his pressure that the NATO partners had increased their spending at the time - only because he had threatened to stop protecting the countries otherwise.
The start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022 lent new urgency to the debate on defense spending.
According to NATO estimates for 2024, around two thirds of the 32 NATO states should reach the two percent target. The German government has reported defense spending of around 90.6 billion euros to the alliance for 2024. According to estimates from June, this could correspond to a GDP share of around 2.1 percent. According to the NATO estimates for 2024, the USA itself recently had a spending share of 3.38 percent - well below five percent.
Most NATO member states would have preferred an election victory for US Vice President Kamala Harris, who ran for the Democrats against Trump. Trump's statements in the past had raised doubts as to whether the USA would fully stand by its commitment to NATO under his leadership.
Trump will be sworn in as president on January 20.
