Trump's Defense Spending Pressure Warning Met with EU Saying "2% of GDP Spending Is a Thing of the Past"

China: "Will Wait for Trump's True Intentions"

With the return of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House in January next year, European Union (EU) countries are preparing to increase defense spending.

According to Bloomberg on the 22nd (local time), Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Prime Minister of Greece, said at the Northern and Southern European Leaders' Summit held in Lapland, Finland, regarding the guideline that NATO countries should spend 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense, "That will probably be a thing of the past," adding, "We know that we need to spend more than 2%."

Press conference of the South and Northern European Heads of State Summit held on the 22nd (local time) in Lapland, Finland. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson agreed with this statement, saying, "There are many rumors circulating."

This statement is made with the upcoming return of President-elect Trump to the White House in mind. Foreign media such as The Telegraph reported that after taking office, Trump will demand NATO member countries raise their defense spending target from the current 2% of GDP to 5%. During his first term, Trump had argued that NATO member countries should increase their defense spending to 4%.

However, Prime Minister Mitsotakis avoided specifying a concrete increase, saying, "Let's not put a number on it." He also said, "When we communicate with the new president (Trump), it will become clear what figure NATO will agree upon."

Kaja Kallas, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, also mentioned the need to increase defense spending, stating, "To prevent war, we need to make more efforts in the defense sector," and "We must invest in important capabilities."

According to a report released by NATO in June this year, only 23 out of 32 member countries have met the 2% target. However, due to the impact of the war in Ukraine and other factors, EU defense spending is on the rise. According to data released by the EU Defence Agency, last year EU member countries' defense spending reached a record high of 279 billion euros, a 10% increase compared to the previous year.

However, there is also an interpretation that President-elect Trump's remarks are a negotiation strategy. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said, "We will wait to fully understand the true intentions of the new U.S. president," adding, "We understand that we need to do more for NATO. What we can do depends on the tools we can put on the (negotiation) table."