Defense politician Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP) has criticized Donald Trump’s demand for a 5% goal for NATO countries as unrealistic and has expressed support for a 3% goal instead. The designated US president follows a “pattern”, said Strack-Zimmermann to the “ZDF Heute-Journal Update” on Wednesday evening.
“He is a real estate man who wants to sell you an apartment for 4 million dollars, for example. You say, I won’t pay more than a million. And then he’ll say, okay, I’ll take 3 million”, Strack-Zimmermann said. Trump will always “throw a lot into the ring to then also lure, provoke, and move something”. However, it is certain that Europe as a whole must do more.
Strack-Zimmermann considers defense spending of three percent of the gross domestic product as “clearly realistic”. The question is, however, what for. “We must clarify in Europe who does what. Not every country must be able to do everything, we defend our continent together”, said the MEP. “And then a price tag will be attached.