Trump Expresses Concerns Over NATO Spending

U.S. President Donald Trump has voiced dissatisfaction with NATO member countries regarding their defense spending commitments.

U.S. Protecting NATO But Not Vice Versa, Says Trump

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, President Trump stated, “The U.S. protects NATO members, but they don’t protect us.” He added, “I’m not sure the U.S. should be spending anything for NATO.”

Trump has previously called on NATO members to allocate 5% of their GDP toward defense spending. Currently, NATO members, including the U.S., have set the target at 2%, but no country has yet reached this goal.

Calls for Increased Defense Spending

Reiterating his remarks from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump emphasized that NATO members should increase their defense spending target from 2% to 5%.

While signing an executive order in the Oval Office, Trump told reporters, “I’m not sure we should be spending anything, but we definitely need to help them. We protect them. They don’t protect us.”

Trump’s Longstanding Criticism of NATO

This is not the first time Trump has criticized NATO. During his previous presidency, he frequently raised concerns about the alliance’s financial structure and member countries’ defense spending, often suggesting the U.S. was bearing an unfair share of the burden.