NATO won't back Trump's new defense spending target but will raise its sights

U.S. Army soldiers with the NATO multinational battle group on the territory of Bulgaria stand in formation with a U.S. flag and an armored vehicle during a visit by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the Novo Selo military ground near Mokren, Bulgaria, on Dec. 19. | AFP-JIJI

by ANDREW GRAY AND LILI BAYER
January 11, 2025

BRUSSELS – NATO won't heed Donald Trump’s proposal for a massive hike in defense spending but will likely agree to go beyond its current target, according to officials and analysts.

The U.S. president-elect declared on Tuesday members of the military alliance should spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense — a huge increase from the current 2% goal and a level that no NATO country, including the United States, currently reaches.

Trump’s comments — at a news conference that also generated a blizzard of headlines on Greenland, Canada and Panama — were a reminder of his focus on NATO spending during his first term and his threats not to protect allies that fail to meet the target.