Trump Criticizes Italy's Meloni for Defense Budgeting
US President Donald Trump has informed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that NATO's target of spending 2% of each member's GDP on defense is inadequate, urging Italy to increase its military expenditures. As the largest financial contributor...
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US President Donald Trump has informed Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni that NATO's target of spending 2% of each member's GDP on defense is inadequate, urging Italy to increase its military expenditures.
As the largest financial contributor to NATO, the U.S. has consistently emphasized the need for European member states to enhance their defense spending. The ongoing discourse over burden-sharing among allies adds further complexity to the already tense relations between the Trump administration and Europe.
In a joint press conference in Washington on Thursday, Meloni stated, “Italy is going to the next summit of NATO, announcing that it will raise [defense spending] to 2%, and that’s also progressed.” To which Trump interjected, “It will go up.” When a reporter inquired whether the 2% target was adequate, Trump responded, “It’s never enough.”
Last year, Italy's defense budget was set at 1.49% of GDP, ranking among the lowest in NATO. Meloni has been advocating for the reclassification of expenditures on border patrols and coast guards as part of military spending.
In January, Trump accused European nations of benefiting from the U.S. support and asserted that NATO members ought to allocate at least 5% of their GDP for defense. According to estimates cited by the BBC, twenty-three of the 32 members met the 2% target established by NATO in 2014. The U.S. allocates about 3.5% of its GDP to defense, making it the largest contributor to the alliance.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto remarked in an interview with La Stampa that it was "unthinkable" for all European nations to drastically reduce social programs to meet Trump's 5% expectation, asserting, “European countries can’t touch welfare and social achievements.”
Last week, Trump indicated that he wouldn't dismiss the possibility of withdrawing some or all of the 84,000 U.S. troops currently deployed in Europe, stating, “We pay for the military in Europe. We don’t get reimbursed by much.”
Additionally, The New York Times reported that the U.S. might consider cutting "almost all funding" for international organizations, including NATO and the United Nations.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
As the largest financial contributor to NATO, the U.S. has consistently emphasized the need for European member states to enhance their defense spending. The ongoing discourse over burden-sharing among allies adds further complexity to the already tense relations between the Trump administration and Europe.
In a joint press conference in Washington on Thursday, Meloni stated, “Italy is going to the next summit of NATO, announcing that it will raise [defense spending] to 2%, and that’s also progressed.” To which Trump interjected, “It will go up.” When a reporter inquired whether the 2% target was adequate, Trump responded, “It’s never enough.”
Last year, Italy's defense budget was set at 1.49% of GDP, ranking among the lowest in NATO. Meloni has been advocating for the reclassification of expenditures on border patrols and coast guards as part of military spending.
In January, Trump accused European nations of benefiting from the U.S. support and asserted that NATO members ought to allocate at least 5% of their GDP for defense. According to estimates cited by the BBC, twenty-three of the 32 members met the 2% target established by NATO in 2014. The U.S. allocates about 3.5% of its GDP to defense, making it the largest contributor to the alliance.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto remarked in an interview with La Stampa that it was "unthinkable" for all European nations to drastically reduce social programs to meet Trump's 5% expectation, asserting, “European countries can’t touch welfare and social achievements.”
Last week, Trump indicated that he wouldn't dismiss the possibility of withdrawing some or all of the 84,000 U.S. troops currently deployed in Europe, stating, “We pay for the military in Europe. We don’t get reimbursed by much.”
Additionally, The New York Times reported that the U.S. might consider cutting "almost all funding" for international organizations, including NATO and the United Nations.
Ramin Sohrabi for TROIB News
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