US President-elect Donald Trump has sparked controversy by suggesting that NATO’s European members should increase their defence spending to 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP), a proposal that is more than double the current target of 2%. The suggestion, made during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Tuesday evening, has drawn sharp criticism from several German politicians.
Trump, who has repeatedly urged NATO countries to boost their defence spending, stated that NATO members were contributing too little to the alliance’s military efforts. “Europe is in for a tiny fraction of the money that we’re in,” Trump told reporters, emphasizing that NATO members “can all afford it” and should increase their defence budgets to 5%, rather than the 2% target currently set by NATO.
None of NATO’s 32 members are currently spending 5% of GDP on defence, with Poland leading at 4.12%, followed by Estonia at 3.43%, and the US at 3.38%, according to NATO data.
In response, Ralf Stegner, a member of Germany’s Social Democrat Party (SPD), described Trump’s comments as “delusional and absolutely insane.” He added, “We don’t need more weapons in the world, but fewer,” in a post on Facebook. Marcus Faber, the chairman of the defence committee in Germany’s parliament, also rejected the 5% target, suggesting instead that NATO members should agree on a new goal beyond the 2% benchmark, with 3% being a more reasonable target.
Free Democratic Party (FDP) politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmerman took a similar stance, criticizing Trump’s approach as an attempt to push European NATO members into financial commitments that would primarily benefit US industry. “We are not at a bazaar here,” Strack-Zimmerman remarked, urging Trump to avoid inventing numbers out of thin air.
Trump’s latest call is not his first on this matter. During his previous presidency, he repeatedly threatened to pull the US out of NATO if European allies failed to increase their defence spending. Over the past few years, NATO’s European members have increased their defence budgets, largely due to the heightened security concerns following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
NATO has estimated that 23 of its 32 members, including 16 from the EU, will meet the 2% GDP spending target by 2024, a significant rise from just six countries in 2021. Germany is expected to meet the 2% target for the first time this year, following Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s 2022 commitment to overhaul the country’s military.
As NATO’s new leadership emphasizes the need for higher defence spending, German politicians continue to debate the ideal level of investment. Some, like Green party chancellor candidate Robert Habeck, are advocating for 3.5% in the coming years. However, Friedrich Merz, leader of the opposition Christian Democratic Union (CDU), believes the specific target is less important than ensuring adequate military readiness.
Mark Rutte, NATO’s new chief, has warned that the current 2% target is insufficient, urging European citizens to make sacrifices, including cuts to pensions and health systems, to ensure the alliance’s security needs are met.
