Former NATO Spokesperson Says Europe May Need to Spend 5 Percent of GDP on Defense

‘Does anybody here think that 2 percent is enough?’ Oana Lungescu asked.

A Rafale jet fighter pilot prepares his aircraft before leaving for a four-month mission to protect the airspace of the Baltic States, as France is deploying four Rafale fighters to Lithuania under NATO mandate, in Mont-de-Marsan, France, on Nov. 25, 2022. Thibaud Moritz/AFP via Getty Images

A former NATO spokesperson has said members of the 32-nation bloc may need to spend 4 or 5 percent of their GDP on defense in the coming years, especially if the United States pulls back on its commitments under President-elect Donald Trump.

Oana Lungescu, who worked at NATO between 2010 and 2024, told a Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) briefing in London on Thursday, that a majority of America’s allies in NATO were spending at least 2 percent of GDP on defense.