President Donald Trump highlighted the chasm between the massive defense spending of the United States and that of other NATO members, putting member states on the defensive before the upcoming NATO summit in Brussels.
Some NATO members have previously pushed back, saying the United States is also protecting its own interests by protecting its allies. But Trump countered by saying the arrangement puts the United States at a disadvantage, pointing to the measly share of gross domestic product (GDP) that most members spend on defense.
This year, the United States will spend about $36 billion directly on defending Europe, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a British think tank. That includes running numerous military bases, missile defense systems, training operations, and more.
Trump’s approach contrasts that of his predecessor, Barack Obama, who was mostly soft-spoken with NATO allies, but, right after getting elected, scrapped plans for expanding the U.S. military presence in Europe, including the building of a radar base in the Czech Republic. He also let U.S. defense spending fall.
They agreed to be “guided” by “considerations” to spend 2 percent of GDP on defense by 2024.
Trump is demanding an increased commitment to NATO and has hinted at a willingness to walk away from the table.
Germany has also recently announced it will boost its presence in Afghanistan, from about 1,000 troops to 1,300 troops.
Though the European allies expressed dissatisfaction with the uncertainty that Trump’s approach has brought them, they appear to be reluctantly getting onboard.
Trump has, meanwhile, delivered on U.S. commitments to Europe. The budget for the European Deterrence Initiative, put in place after the Russian actions in Ukraine, almost tripled between 2016 and 2017 and is expected to reach over $6.5 billion by 2019.
On another front, Trump has connected the defense issue with trade, criticizing Europe for a $150 billion trade surplus (though it can also be calculated as $100 billion) and trade barriers.
Trump has asked Europe to lower tariffs on American-made cars and other products and to buy American liquid gas. The fact that the United States maintains about 70,000 troops in Europe gives him additional leverage.
But a Europe that better defends itself and buys more American gas gives Trump another advantage because it makes Europe more resilient militarily and less dependent on Russian gas.
Trump will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 16 in Helsinki, shortly after the NATO meeting. The first official summit of the two leaders was announced by both the White House and the Kremlin on June 28.