The suggestion to increase defense spending for NATO members has come from advisers of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, according to anonymous sources cited by Bloomberg. This proposed target of 3% GDP is a significant leap from the current goal of 2%, which many members of the US-led bloc have struggled to reach recently.
The idea was brought up during discussions at last week’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, with sources familiar with the conversations stating that it remains just a suggestion and hasn’t been officially approved by the Trump team. However, if Trump is reelected as US president this November, tensions may escalate further among NATO allies struggling to manage their government debt.
Throughout his presidency, Trump has consistently criticized NATO members for not investing enough in their militaries, pointing out that some have failed to meet a 2014 commitment to contribute at least 2% of their GDP towards defense. In fact, only eleven of the bloc’s thirty-two nations met this goal in last year’s estimates, with Poland, the United States, and Greece being the only countries estimated to have spent 3% or more on defense.
In early February this year, Trump faced backlash from the White House and top Western officials after he suggested that he would not defend NATO countries failing to spend enough on their defenses, even hinting at encouraging Russia to attack them. However, Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, have repeatedly denied any plans of attacking NATO countries.
This recent talk of increasing defense spending targets may serve as a negotiating tactic aimed at pressuring NATO allies not to become complacent, according to an anonymous source cited by Bloomberg. Another unnamed source confirmed that the higher target was discussed in Milwaukee but mentioned that there is some debate about whether it would be beneficial for maintaining unity within the alliance.