Trump to Call on Allies to Increase Defense Spending at NATO Summit

U.S. President Donald Trump is set to attend the NATO summit in The Hague, and his key message will be a call for allies to significantly increase their defense spending. This was announced by Matthew Whitaker, the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO.

“We expect President Trump to attend the NATO summit and address the distribution of the financial burden. The President has made it clear that European and Canadian allies need to match the United States in terms of defense spending,” said the U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO.

He noted that the U.S. currently spends around $550 billion on defense, which nearly doubles the combined expenditures of all European and Canadian allies. He expressed hope that this ratio would be equalized and that Europe would significantly boost its defense budget.

The NATO summit in The Hague is scheduled for June 24-25.