Europe ought to welcome Trump’s NATO spending name, says Poland’s Tusk

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Europe ought to welcome relatively than rebuff U.S. President Donald Trump’s name for different NATO members to ramp up their army spending, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk stated on Wednesday, stressing the significance of safety to the continent.

Trump has stated members of the army alliance ought to spend 5% of their gross home product (GDP) on defence – an enormous enhance from the present 2% aim and a degree that no NATO nation, together with the USA, presently achieves.

This demand, repeated on Monday as he took workplace, is a reminder of the main focus he placed on NATO spending throughout his first time period – and his threats to not defend allies who fail to spend sufficient. Officers from NATO nations haven’t endorsed the 5% goal.

“We should not be irritated. We should not be appalled,” Tusk advised lawmakers of the European Parliament. “Some assume it is extravagant or it’s a brutal or malicious warning.”

Tusk, whose nation has the six-month rotating EU presidency now, stated a “time of consolation” was over as the brand new U.S. president was saying Europe wanted to bear a better share of duty for its personal safety.

“Solely an ally can want one other ally to get stronger. This isn’t what an opponent of Europe would say,” Tusk stated.

Poland spends essentially the most amongst NATO members as a proportion of its GDP at a NATO-estimated 4.1% in 2024, whereas eight of the army and political alliance’s 32 members spend lower than 2%.

“I want to inform you that this can be a time when Europe can’t afford to avoid wasting on safety,” Tusk advised the EU meeting.

Tusk echoed the view of EU international coverage chief Kaja Kallas, the previous prime minister of Estonia, that Russia poses an existential menace to EU safety and that the one technique to handle this was to extend defence spending.