Donald Trump's spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said that the president-elect wants Europe to fulfill its commitments on defense spending and increase its share of aid to Ukraine. However, representatives of the press team denied that Trump was demanding defense spending of 5 percent of GDP from NATO countries, as reported by the Financial Times.
– President Donald Trump Believes that European countries should honor their defense spending obligations within NATO and increase their share in bearing the burden of this conflict (war in Ukraine – ed) because United States they paid much more, which is not fair to our taxpayers, said Karoline Leavitt, spokeswoman for the president-elect.
In this way, she answered a question about Friday's reports by the Financial Times that the new US president would demand that the Alliance countries increase their defense spending from the current two percent to five percent of GDP.
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“The president will do what is necessary to restore peace and rebuild American strength and deterrence on the international stage,” added Leavitt, who will serve as White House spokeswoman in the Trump administration. Another representative of the president-elect's team said that the FT's reports were not true.
Trump wants to increase defense spending
The British daily reported on Friday that people from Trump's closest circle, including his foreign policy advisers, told European interlocutors that the future president would demand increased financial spending on armaments.
At the same time, they made it clear that after the presidential inauguration scheduled for January 20, Washington would maintain deliveries of military aid to Ukraine.
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One of the FT's sources estimated that Trump would agree to increase the defense budget to 3.5%. GDP, but intends to link this to certain requirements for more favorable terms for the US in trade agreements with Europe.
During the election campaign, Trump supported the demand put forward for the first time by the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Dudato raise the required military spending threshold to three percent. GDP.
Trump links trade issues to security issues
According to PAP information, Robert Wilkie, a representative of Trump's transition team, which is responsible for taking power in Pentagon.
He was to begin his speech with the issue of tariffs and make it clear that Trump closely links trade issues with security issues.
Currently none NATO country does not spend the equivalent of 5% on defense. GDP, and Poland is closest to meeting this threshold, planning to spend over 4.5% next year.
According to NATO data, this year's US defense spending amounted to 3.18%. GDP, and the defense budget plan adopted by Congress in December, which amounts to USD 895 billion, suggests that this amount may be reduced next year.
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