In 2017, Donald Trump urged NATO allies in friendly terms to increase their spending on defense. Not only was he ignored, but he was laughed at, and ridiculed for it. The Europeans, led by then-Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, were more focused on allowing hordes of immigrants into their countries from Africa and the Middle East. Then Russia invaded Ukraine, and many European nations realized how right Trump had been. Now, at this year’s NATO summit, the countries are pledging to spend at least 5% of their GDP on defense and defense-relevant infrastructure. Foreign Policy reports on the NATO summit, writing:
When the 32 NATO allies convene for the bloc’s summit in The Hague, the number one objective will be to avoid an open blowup between Washington and its closest—or should that be formerly closest?—friends.
To that end, and to cater to U.S. President Donald Trump’s aversion to long meetings, the heads of state and government will meet for only a single, two-and-a-half-hour session on June 25, rather than the usual multiple events over two or more days. With the United States and Europe increasingly divergent in their view of Russia and its war in Ukraine, those topics may be largely avoided as well. And allies are expected to hand Trump a coveted win: a pledge to spend at least 5 percent of GDP on defense and defense-relevant infrastructure, a key White House demand for the bloc.
Will that be enough to keep NATO together? And what happens afterwards, with U.S. military support for Europe—and against Russia—no longer certain?
Read more here.
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