Trump administration warns NATO allies to immediately increase defense budgets

According to a report published in the British media outlet The Telegraph, Trump is planning to reward or punish NATO member states based on their defense spending.

Ashad 22, 2083

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Trump administration warns NATO allies to immediately increase defense budgets

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The United States has warned NATO member states to immediately increase their defense spending.

The warning came on Sunday, ahead of this year's NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. The policy risks creating tension within the alliance at the summit, which begins on Tuesday. 

They have warned that if member states do not increase their defense budgets, they will face serious consequences.

US President Donald Trump has long criticized NATO member states for not increasing defense spending as promised.

Earlier, at a summit in The Hague, Netherlands last year, under Trump's leadership, NATO member states pledged to spend 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense by 2035. However, many countries are far behind in meeting that commitment, US officials have concluded. 

This week, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced a 15 billion pound increase in the defense budget. Despite this increase, Britain's defense spending is expected to reach only 2.7 percent of total GDP by 2029. 

US Ambassador to NATO Matt Whitaker said on Sunday night, "Some allies are doing more than others. Poland, the Nordic countries and the Baltic countries are at the forefront of this."

He added, "However, many countries are lagging behind. President Trump expects all allies to take immediate and effective action. They need to be put on a path to meet the 5 percent target as soon as possible."

According to news published in the British media The Telegraph, Trump is planning to reward or punish NATO member states based on their defense spending.

According to experts, this tough stance by the Trump administration is likely to bring about a major change in the balance of power and security strategy within NATO. The conference, which begins on Tuesday, will run until Wednesday. 

During the conference, Trump will hold a special meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The meeting on Wednesday is expected to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war in depth.

Zelensky has been urging the US and European countries to provide weapons and missiles in the fight against Russia. 

Trump also plans to meet with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sarrah during the summit.

Trump has said that Syria will play a bigger role in fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, Sarrah has said that he has no interest in this matter. 

The US president also plans to have a special meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the host of the summit. He also has a good relationship with Trump. 

However, he has not planned bilateral meetings with other leaders. Trump's relations with European leaders have not been very good lately.

Earlier, Trump criticized European leaders immediately after returning from a summit in France in mid-June. 

Trump had revealed that Keir Starmer would resign before he formally resigned as UK Prime Minister.

Trump also claimed that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had pushed him to take a picture with him during the G7 summit. Meloni strongly denied this and the Italian foreign minister's visit to the US was cancelled.

Denmark has been irritated with Trump over his comments on Greenland. Trump has also had a strained relationship with French President Emmanuel Macron, who hosted Trump at the Palace of Versailles last month.

Trump has accused NATO allies of not providing enough support in the Iran war. NATO, which was founded in 1949, now has 32 members.

Russia attacks Kiev

Russia launched a deadly attack on the Ukrainian capital Kiev on Monday morning, on the eve of a NATO summit in Turkey.

Russia has fired ballistic missile drones at least 12 people in Kiev and at least 6 in the surrounding area, killing at least 12 people. Dozens of others were injured, local officials said.  Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said four districts had suffered major damage. The NATO summit is expected to discuss the Russia-Ukraine war in depth.

Zelensky will hold a special meeting with Trump during the summit. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Trump had a 90-minute phone call with Putin on Sunday and expressed his willingness to help end the war. He had previously spoken to Zelensky on Saturday. 

Although not a NATO member, Ukraine has security cooperation with most NATO members. NATO members provide Ukraine with financial and weapons support. Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022, citing its growing inclination towards NATO.

Trump had claimed during the presidential election that he would end the war within 24 hours of becoming president. But the war is far from over after Trump's 500th day in office. Zelensky has urged European allies to provide Ukraine with new missiles and weapons ahead of a NATO summit. 

Both Russia and Ukraine have stepped up attacks on each other in recent days. Ukraine launched missiles and drones into Russian territory just days ago.

In the process, oil refineries, ports and military infrastructure were damaged. On Monday, the Russian state news agency Tass reported that 513 drones launched from Ukraine had been shot down. 

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