US President-elect Donald Trump, who took office on January 20, wants NATO allies to increase defense spending to two percent of their current target of 2% of gross domestic product, the Financial Times and The Telegraph reported on Friday. More than times.
The Trump team has reportedly told European officials that the incoming U.S. president expects members of the military alliance to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP.
Mitsotakis declined to cite specific figures in response to reporters’ questions on the issue. “It will be more than 2%. But let’s not give specific figures because we all have our own national considerations and we should not forget that we are working within a European framework,” he said.
“We need to look at how to collectively advance all means of European defense,” Mitsotakis added. “We still have to convince our transatlantic partners that we take our security seriously because we need transatlantic partners within the framework of NATO ”
European NATO members are under increasing pressure to increase defense spending, especially in light of Moscow’s ongoing incursions into Ukraine and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats to attack those who support Kiev. New NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said earlier this month that defense spending by alliance members must be “well above” 2% of gross domestic product.
Finnish Prime Minister Petri Orpo held a North-South summit in Saariselkä, Finland. Attendees included Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Christiansen and EU foreign policy chief Kaya Karas.
