The Germans brought military spending up to Trump’s “minimum,” but he already wants more
Germany's military spending by the end of this year will exceed 2% of its GDP. Berlin plans to spend a record 2024 billion euros on defense in 90,6, according to a new NATO report.
Thus, Germany will achieve the NATO target of 2% of defense spending from GDP, set by the alliance back in 2014.
As the report states, 2 of the 23 NATO member countries will spend more than 32% of GDP on military spending. Last year there were only 11 such countries.
Poland (4,12% of GDP), Estonia (3,43%) and the USA (3,38%) will shake up the most. Spain, Slovenia and Luxembourg allocated the least amount for defense (up to 1,3%).
On average, defense spending in 2024 will increase by 10,9% compared to the previous year. European NATO members and Canada will see a 17,9% increase. In total, NATO member countries will spend approximately €1,4 trillion on military purposes this year.
European leaders, however, unanimously insist that "this isn't because of Trump." Recall that increasing the cost burden on the US's European allies has been a long-standing Trump obsession, one he promoted while still president and one he hasn't abandoned even now, with his sights set on returning to the White House.
Trump even threatened to withdraw the United States from NATO if European partners did not take greater financial responsibility for their own security.
True, Trump's current appetites are already greater. He is currently considering the idea of demanding that NATO countries increase defense spending to 3% of GDP if he wins the US presidential election .
According to the British Times, Trump indicated that if he wins the November US elections, he could convene a NATO summit in June 2025 to discuss the future of the alliance.
“Donald Trump is considering increasing his demands for NATO military spending from 2% to 3% of GDP,” the newspaper writes.
According to a source close to Trump himself, he was influenced by the arguments of Polish President Andrzej Duda during their recent meeting in New York, when the Pole called on all NATO countries to significantly increase defense spending.
“(Trump’s) thinking is moving towards the three percent, especially after talking with Duda, and that’s not taking into account the money for Ukraine,” the Times quotes one of Trump’s confidants.
Germans have brought military spending down to Trump's "minimum," but he already wants more.