Donald Trump has said he will require NATO countries to spend at least five per cent of their GDP on defence.
The US president-elect’s team told European officials that the bloc would have to more than double its spending target of two per cent – which over a quarter of its members are currently set to fail to meet.
People briefed on the talks said that Mr Trump had committed to continuing to supply Ukraine with military aid, despite pledging to cut-off funding to Kyiv in a bid to force Volodymyr Zelenskyy into peace talks with Russia.
A source told the FT that the incoming president was keen to reward countries which increased defence spending with improved trade deals with the US.
They said that he would be pushing for a target of at least three per cent at a meeting of leaders in The Hague next June – a figure already being considered by Nato allies.
Mr Trump remains against Ukraine being granted NATO membership and would still be pushing for an immediate end to the war on taking office next month, the source added.
The US will have spent around 3.1 per cent of GDP on defence this year, the White House office of management and budget said – less than the 3.4 per cent spent in 2020, Trump’s last full year in the Oval office.
Some nations are however concerned about the fiscal implications related with higher defence budgets, which could require difficult fiscal decisions elsewhere.
Donald Trump is to demand NATO countries increase their defence spending to five per cent of their GDP on his return to the White House
NATO general secretary Mark Rutte shakes hands with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Brussels on Wednesday
A Leonard battle tank deployed in the direction of Kurahove, Ukraine on December 19
This year, only 23 allies out of 32 are expected to meet or exceed the target of 2 per cent.
Seven European countries, including Italy and Spain, are still failing to meet the benchmark that was first implemented in 2014.
It comes as President Zelenskyy and NATO secretary general Mark Rutte met representatives from several NATO countries including the UK, France, Germany and Italy in Brussels on Wednesday to discuss defence policies ahead of the Trump presidency.
The Ukrainian president said on Thursday that European funding pledges would ‘not be sufficient’ without a US contribution.
Mr Rutte has previously said he would push for the target to be ‘much more’ than the current benchmark.
He pointed to what he called a ‘coordinated campaign to destabilise our societies,’ including cyberattacks and assassination attempts orchestrated by foreign powers.
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