EU and NATO Leaders to Discuss Defense Spending at Upcoming Summits
The 23 EU member states that are also part of the NATO, are likely to agree to increase their defense spending at the upcoming NATO summit in June, according to the President of the EU Council, António Costa. Currently, the member states are required to meet the two percent of GDP target.
During his presidential campaign, Trump had announced that he would only protect NATO member states that meet the two percent of GDP target. However, two weeks ago, Trump stated that NATO member states in Europe should increase their military spending to five percent of their GDP. “They all can afford it” Trump said.
According to a Reuters report, none of the 32 NATO member states, including the US, currently meet this target.
Costa has planned an informal meeting of EU heads of state and government for next Monday to discuss defense and security investments. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will also attend the meeting, Costa added. “I expect a higher target than two percent to be set at the next NATO summit in June” Costa said. “Whether it’s five or three percent, I don’t know. That’s a decision that the member states will make within the NATO.”
Analysts and officials, speaking to Reuters, said that for almost all NATO member states, it would be politically and economically impossible to allocate five percent of GDP for defense. This would require additional billions of dollars. However, it is likely that the member states will agree to move beyond the current two percent target at the June summit.
Costa claims that Russia is the greatest threat to NATO and that the member states should prioritize the improvement of air defense, missile defense and electronic warfare capabilities.