US President Donald Trump stated Wednesday that NATO allies’ dedication to protection spending equal to five% of a member state’s gross home product will add “more than $1 trillion a year” to collective protection.
Speaking at an alliance summit in The Hague, Trump advised reporters: “In a very historic milestone this week, the NATO allies committed to dramatically increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP, something that no one really thought possible.”
The 32 NATO member states pledged Wednesday to allocate 5% of GDP yearly by 2035, together with not less than 3.5% for core protection expenditures and as much as 1.5% for cybersecurity, vital infrastructure, and industrial capacity-building.
“This will be known as The Hague defense commitment,” Trump stated, stressing the settlement’s significance for European and world safety.
“This is an ongoing project. This is the safety of Europe, the safety of the world,” he stated.
Trump stated the achievement represents dramatic progress from the earlier 2% goal, crediting his direct strain on allies.
“A couple of them came up to me, one in particular, said we’ve been trying to get it up to 3% for 20 years, we haven’t been able, and you got it up to 5%,” he stated.
He stated the method accelerated following his US election victory final November, with “almost all” members creating plans to achieve the targets “very quickly, almost immediately.”
Trump recognized Spain as “just about the only one” not dedicated to the 5% goal, calling them “the most hostile” towards the rise.
“I’m going to negotiate directly with Spain. I’m going to do it myself. They’re going to pay,” he stated.
Source: www.anews.com.tr