Trump wants 5% Nato defence spending target, Europe told

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Donald Trump’s team has told European officials that the incoming US president will demand that NATO member states raise defense spending to 5 percent of GDP, but plans to continue military aid to Ukraine.

The US president-elect’s closest foreign policy aides shared his intentions in talks with senior European officials this month, according to people familiar with the discussions, as he solidifies his policy toward Europe. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

During his White House campaign, Trump It has vowed to freeze aid to Ukraine, force Kiev into immediate peace talks and leave NATO allies vulnerable if they fail to spend enough on defense – spooking European capitals.

But for allies deeply concerned about their ability to support and defend Ukraine without Washington’s backing, Trump now wants to maintain US military supplies in Kiev after his inauguration, three other people briefed on the talks with Western officials said.

At the same time Trump will demand more than double his 2 percent spending target for NATO — which only 23 of the alliance’s 32 members meet — to 5 percent, two people briefed on the conversation said.

One of the people said they understood Trump would settle for 3.5 percent and that he clearly plans to combine that with higher defense spending and more favorable trade terms with the United States. “It is clear that we are talking about 3 percent or more [Nato’s June summit in] The Hague summit,” said another European official briefed on Trump’s thinking.

Talks are already underway with NATO allies Target growth 3 percent at that meeting of leaders in June, but many capitals are concerned about the tough fiscal decisions that must be made.

According to the White House Office of Management and BudgetThe United States will spend about 3.1 percent of GDP on defense in 2024 In 2020, the last year of Trump’s first presidency, Pentagon spending hit 3.4 percent.

Key European NATO allies, including France, Germany, the UK, Italy and Poland, met in Brussels on Wednesday night with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss how the continent would fare. Adaptation of Defense Policy In response to Trump’s return.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke separately to Trump by telephone during a summit of EU leaders on Thursday. Scholz later told reporters that he was “absolutely confident that the United States and Europe will continue their support for Ukraine”. Senior British security officials visited Washington earlier this month to assess the president-elect’s plans.

While Trump still believes Ukraine should never be granted NATO membership and wants an immediate end to the conflict, the president-elect believed supplying arms to Kiev after a ceasefire would ensure a “peace through strength” outcome, they added.

After 24 hours of meetings with NATO and EU leaders in Brussels this week, Zelensky said Thursday that Europeans would pledge to defend Ukraine. “will not be enough” Without US involvement.

Additional reporting by George Parker in London