US President Donald Trump has renewed his warnings that European countries are not pulling their weight on defense spending within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The US claims it will no longer tolerate an “imbalanced relationship” with allies, particularly in Ukraine.
According to NATO’s 2025 budget, Germany and the US are tied as the largest contributors, but their combined spending is a fraction of GDP. In fact, only a handful of countries contribute more than 0.1% to the total defense budget.
Trump wants NATO members to spend at least 5% of their GDP on defense, which would require significant increases in military spending for most countries. For example, Norway’s current spending is around 2.15%, but reaching 5% would mean a jump from £7.4 billion to over £17 billion.
The US military has a significant presence within NATO countries, with approximately 1.3 million personnel stationed across Europe. However, the country itself contributes only around 38% of the total troops in NATO.
Critics argue that Trump’s demands are unrealistic and would be difficult for many countries to meet, given their economic constraints. The UK’s defense minister has stated that “there can be no negotiation about Ukraine, without Ukraine,” highlighting the ongoing tensions between Russia and Western allies.
Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/nato-us-trump-pete-hegseth-europe-b2698355.html