US President Donald Trump has sparked controversy by questioning whether the US should meet NATO’s 5% defense spending goal, a target that he had previously supported. The 32-nation alliance is set to meet in The Hague on Tuesday, where leaders will discuss spending goals and reaffirm their force structure.
Trump stated that he does not believe the US should be included in the 5% target, but believes its member states should meet it. The US currently spends 3.4% of its GDP on defense, below the NATO average of over 2%.
Most NATO countries are struggling to meet the current spending goal of around 2%, and some have outlined plans to reach 3% over the next year or two. However, others, such as Spain, have rejected the target.
Trump’s stance on the issue has raised eyebrows among Republicans in Congress, who had pushed for larger Pentagon budgets and clashed with the administration over defense spending. The US defense budget would need to reach $1.4 trillion to meet the 5% goal.
Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/20/trump-says-the-us-doesnt-have-to-meet-nato-spending-goal-00416154