US: All NATO Member Countries Must Fulfill 'Defense Spending 2% of GDP' Commitment by June

White House: "One Third of Promises Made Ten Years Ago Remain Unfulfilled"

The U.S. government has demanded that NATO member countries that do not spend 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defense costs comply with this requirement by the NATO summit scheduled for June.

Michael Waltz, U.S. National Security Advisor, is briefing at the White House on the 20th (local time). Photo by UPI Yonhap News

Michael Waltz, U.S. National Security Advisor, pointed out during a White House briefing on the 20th (local time) that "one-third of NATO member countries have not fulfilled the promise made 10 years ago to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense."

He continued, "Someone has to pay that cost. The United States has other domestic priorities. President Donald Trump has made this clear, and (other member countries) must at least meet the minimum," adding, "We need 100% (all member countries spending at least 2% of GDP on defense) by the NATO summit in June."

Waltz also said, "After that, let's talk about spending more than 5% of GDP on defense, as President Trump mentioned," and added, "Europe, as a partner, must take a step further for its own defense. We can have a tough conversation as friends and allies."

He emphasized, "We have made it clear that we cannot tolerate the United States and American taxpayers bearing the costs of the Russia-Ukraine war as well as Europe's defense for decades," and stressed, "We fully support NATO member countries, but now it is time for European allies to step up."

Referring to the upcoming visits next week by French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to the U.S. for separate summits with President Trump, Waltz said, "President Macron and Prime Minister Starmer have discussed Europe-led security, and we welcome that," adding, "We have been asking Europe to take a step further for its own prosperity, safety, and security." He continued, "Therefore, we welcome more support from Europe. If you want a bigger seat, come to the negotiating table with more."

Waltz also stated, "The only person who can stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un is President Trump," emphasizing, "There is no doubt that he is the best negotiator and the best commander-in-chief."

He further said, "I want to emphasize that Putin had conflicts with Georgia during President Bush's administration, with Ukraine during President Obama's administration, and with neighboring countries (Ukraine) during President Biden's administration," adding, "If President Trump had been in office, the war would not have happened, and he would have stopped the war."