Trump’s Call for Increased NATO Spending

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Europe should embrace U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for NATO members to increase military spending, emphasized Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Wednesday, highlighting the continent’s security needs.

Trump has proposed that NATO members allocate 5% of their GDP to defense, significantly higher than the existing 2% target that no member nation, including the United States, currently meets.

This reiteration of demands, expressed again on Monday as he assumed office, reflects Trump’s ongoing emphasis on NATO spending from his first term, including threats of withholding protection for allies failing to meet spending requirements. However, officials from NATO countries have not supported the 5% target.

“We shouldn’t be irritated. We shouldn’t be appalled,” Tusk told the European Parliament. He noted that some may perceive it as excessive or a harsh warning.

As the nation holding the six-month rotating EU presidency, Tusk stated that the era of complacency is over, asserting that the new U.S. president’s demands require Europe to take greater responsibility for its security.

“Only an ally can wish for another ally to grow stronger. This is not something an opponent of Europe would say,” Tusk mentioned.

Poland leads NATO members in defense spending relative to GDP, estimated at 4.1% in 2024, while eight of the alliance’s 32 countries spend less than 2%.

“Europe cannot afford to skimp on security at this time,” Tusk remarked to the EU assembly.

Tusk also supported EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas’s assertion that Russia represents a grave threat to EU security, advocating for increased defense spending as the only viable response.