Trump's Call for NATO to Raise Defense Spending to 5% of GDP Opposed by Scholz and Lammy

Jan 9, 2025, 08:17 AM

President-elect Donald Trump has called for NATO member countries to increase their defense spending to 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a significant rise from the current target of 2%. This proposal has met with opposition from several European leaders. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz rejected the demand, stating that 5% of GDP represents a large sum of money, equating to approximately 200 billion euros annually for Germany, against a federal budget of about 490 billion euros. Scholz highlighted that meeting Trump's demand would require either saving or borrowing an additional 150 billion euros each year. In the UK, Foreign Secretary David Lammy acknowledged the need for Europe to enhance its defense capabilities, aligning with Trump's sentiment that Europe must do more to defend itself, though he did not endorse the specific 5% target. Lammy emphasized that Europe's security is precarious and that the post-Cold War peace is over, urging a focus on actions rather than just rhetoric. Currently, the UK spends 2.3% of its GDP on defense and plans to increase this to 2.5%.