Challenge for NATO Nations After Trump, Rutte Suggest Higher Target for Defense Spending

Trump says he wants NATO countries to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense, which analysts say is ‘unrealistic’ for many European nations.

Members of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Battalion, 69th Armored Regiment deploy to Germany to reassure NATO allies from their base in Savannah, Ga., on March 2, 2022. Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images

News Analysis

Mark Rutte, secretary general of NATO, said on Jan. 23 that U.S. President Donald Trump is right to request that members of the alliance spend at least 5 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) on defense.