The US President’s advisor Mike Waltz called on Thursday to all NATO Member States to meet two percent of his GDP for defense by the June Summit in the Hague. Jonhap informed about it, writes TASR.
The Allies in the North Atlantic Alliance agreed in 2014 that two percent of their GDP will set aside every year. New US President Donald However, Trump now urges Member States to contribute up to five percent of GDP. Such a goal was not even fulfilled by the United States during the reign of Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden.
“In June this year, at the NATO summit, we must be 100 % and then let’s talk about increasing,” He said Waltz. He called on Europe to strengthen its own defense as a partner. “Then we can be friends and allies and conduct these tough conversations,” added. Last year’s alliance estimates show that in 2024 the minimum required level reached more than 20 out of 32 countries. As expected, Poland – up to 4.1 percent of GDP – gave the most in defense.
Such Latvia, which plans to spend 3.45 percent of GDP this year, announced that it wants to invest up to five percent in the coming years. On the contrary, At least according to data, Spain (1.28 percent) is allocated, before it is Slovenia or Luxembourg (both countries after 1.29 percent). Slovakia spends two percent of GDP for defense.
NATO Secretary -General Mark Rutte says that alliance Member States will have to increase the defense spending significantly more than three percent of GDP. About how much this should be, he says he will negotiate at NATO Summit, which will take place from 24 to 26 June 2025 in the Haag, the Netherlands.
“The fact that we are going to the NATO summit and a third of our allies still do not fulfill a two percent minimum – the commitment they accepted … literally ten years ago – with the war within reach, the greatest war that everyone is very worried about. Someone else has to pay. We have other home priorities. This is unacceptable, ” He said by Jonhap Trump’s advisor.
In his words, US taxpayers continue to “bear the burden of not only the cost of war in Ukraine, but also for the defense of Europe”. Waltz claims that the US is fully supporting its NATO allies, as well as a commitment arising from Article five North Atlantic Collective Defense Agreement. “However, it is time for our European allies to strengthen,” he stressed.
