During the NATO summit in the Netherlands, President Trump urged European allies to significantly increase their defense spending, aiming for 5% of GDP. This marks a shift from the previous 2% target set in 2014. The proposed budget breakdown includes funding for traditional defense and cybersecurity. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized the necessity for Europe to contribute more, framing it as a win for the US. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas affirmed that increased defense spending could simultaneously enhance support for Ukraine, vital for collective security in Europe.
'Europe is going to pay in a BIG way as they should, and it will be your win,' NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said in a letter to Trump that the US president posted on social media on June 24 before he departed Washington for the Netherlands.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told RFE/RL in an interview that the summit at The Hague "is about one topic and one topic only, which is spending more on defense and this 5 percent."
Kallas stressed that helping Ukraine actually benefits each member country's own defense, noting that the European Union has upped its support to Ukraine this year compared with last year.
Kallas added that if countries are spending more in defense, they are also able to increase their support to Ukraine.
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