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White House Insists All European Countries Must Spend 5% on Defense

  • President Donald Trump called on NATO members to allocate 5% of their GDP towards defense funding ahead of the June 24-25 summit in The Hague.
  • This demand follows the longstanding 2% target set in 2014, with Trump pushing for a higher threshold because the U.S. has financed much of European defense without sufficient return.
  • Only four NATO countries—including Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—currently meet the 5% spending target, while some allies claim a combined 3.5% plus 1.5% that lacks clear definition.
  • Trump expressed that while the United States need not increase its defense spending beyond the current 3.4% of GDP, other NATO members ought to meet the 5% target. He criticized Spain for contributing relatively little and resisting this expenditure goal.
  • The summit will likely address these disputes, with Spain seeking an exemption and other countries aiming for gradual increases, implying continued negotiation on realistic defense spending commitments.
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Left
3
Center
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2
Lean Right

Donald Trump calls for a drastic increase in armaments spending and is considering a US withdrawal from Europe. Europeans now have to react quickly, demands the head of the Italian armament giant Leonardo. Especially in one area the gap is dangerous.

·Dortmund, Germany
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Center

US President Donald Trump said yesterday that the requirement that NATO member countries spend 5% of their GDP on defence should not apply to the United States, saying Washington has already spent enough in the past...

·Romania
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Lean Left

Washington is confident that they will achieve a major victory in The Hague with an allied commitment of five percent of GDP for defense.

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20minutos broke the news in Madrid, Spain on Thursday, June 19, 2025.
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