Official announcements from NATO member countries or reports from NATO

NATO Chief Mark Rutte Supports Trump's Call for Defense Spending Over 2% of GDP

Nov 7, 2024, 01:39 PM

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has expressed support for former President Donald Trump's longstanding demand for increased defense spending among NATO member countries. Rutte stated that NATO countries will begin spending more than 2% of their GDP on defense, a move he attributes partly to Trump's criticism, which he believes helped steer NATO in the right direction. Rutte made these remarks at the European Political Community summit in Budapest, emphasizing that he fully agrees with Trump's stance on the issue. Michael Maloof, former senior security policy analyst in the Pentagon, noted that Trump will be much more stringent toward NATO members, insisting they increase their allotments or pull out.