NATO leader states members will comply with Trump's financial requirements
Mark Rutte has stated that the US president-elect is justified in urging European members of the bloc to increase their spending. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Mark Rutte has emphasized the need for the bloc’s European members to increase their military spending in light of US President-elect Donald Trump’s demand that NATO allies allocate over 2% of their GDP to defense. The Secretary-General stated that NATO intends to exceed this benchmark.
"We will have to spend more… It will be much more than the 2%, I’m absolutely clear about that,” Rutte informed reporters prior to the European Political Community summit in Budapest on Thursday.
Trump's victory over current Vice President Kamala Harris in the recent presidential election follows a campaign in which he indicated that he might refuse to support NATO members that do not meet the 2% spending target. When this threshold was established in 2014, only three of the member states were compliant; by 2024, this number has increased to 23 out of 31.
During his first term, Trump consistently urged European NATO members to boost their defense expenditures, asserting, “They should be paying their bills,” during an interview with Fox News in 2020. “Why should we defend countries and not be reimbursed?”
In 2018, he proposed raising the NATO spending target to 4%, a goal currently met only by Poland.
"He is right about this,” Rutte remarked on Thursday regarding Trump’s spending demands. “You will not get there with the 2%.”
Rutte expressed his intention to discuss the threats posed by Russia, Iran, and North Korea with Trump, highlighting the necessity for collaboration. “We have to work together. So I look forward to sitting down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threats collectively, [and] what we need to do more,” he stated.
Throughout Trump's campaign, various journalists and former officials voiced concerns that he might abandon NATO if reelected, leading to trepidation among European leaders. Last year, Trump declared he would ensure “America’s alliances serve to protect the American people, and do not recklessly endanger American blood and treasure.” He later claimed that his tough stance toward US allies had fortified NATO by compelling them to contribute "their fair share."
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
"We will have to spend more… It will be much more than the 2%, I’m absolutely clear about that,” Rutte informed reporters prior to the European Political Community summit in Budapest on Thursday.
Trump's victory over current Vice President Kamala Harris in the recent presidential election follows a campaign in which he indicated that he might refuse to support NATO members that do not meet the 2% spending target. When this threshold was established in 2014, only three of the member states were compliant; by 2024, this number has increased to 23 out of 31.
During his first term, Trump consistently urged European NATO members to boost their defense expenditures, asserting, “They should be paying their bills,” during an interview with Fox News in 2020. “Why should we defend countries and not be reimbursed?”
In 2018, he proposed raising the NATO spending target to 4%, a goal currently met only by Poland.
"He is right about this,” Rutte remarked on Thursday regarding Trump’s spending demands. “You will not get there with the 2%.”
Rutte expressed his intention to discuss the threats posed by Russia, Iran, and North Korea with Trump, highlighting the necessity for collaboration. “We have to work together. So I look forward to sitting down with Donald Trump to discuss how we can face these threats collectively, [and] what we need to do more,” he stated.
Throughout Trump's campaign, various journalists and former officials voiced concerns that he might abandon NATO if reelected, leading to trepidation among European leaders. Last year, Trump declared he would ensure “America’s alliances serve to protect the American people, and do not recklessly endanger American blood and treasure.” He later claimed that his tough stance toward US allies had fortified NATO by compelling them to contribute "their fair share."
Frederick R Cook contributed to this report for TROIB News
