**NATO Allies Move to Boost Defense Spending Amid Trump’s Pressure**
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has begun working on a plan to increase defense spending among its member countries. This move comes in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for each country to allocate 5% of their GDP to their militaries.
According to Bloomberg, NATO allies are aiming to meet this target by 2032. The development of the plan is a significant step towards addressing Trump’s long-standing demand that NATO members increase their military spending. Previously, Trump had called on the alliance to raise its benchmark from 2% to 5% of GDP.
**A Significant Increase in Military Expenditures**
If implemented, defense spending at this level would be the largest increase since the Cold War era. This move is also a response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as NATO members seek to bolster their defenses against potential threats.
Currently, 24 out of NATO’s 32 member countries meet the current 2% target for defense spending. However, several nations, including Italy, Canada, and Spain, still fall short of this benchmark.
**A Warning from Trump**
Trump’s remarks follow his previous statement that he would allow Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO countries failing to meet defense criteria. This statement was widely seen as undermining NATO’s collective-defense principle.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has also chimed in, quipping that allies should either increase spending or prepare to “take Russian language courses or move to New Zealand.”
**A Proposal from Rutte**
Rutte is now pushing allies to commit to 3.5% of GDP for defense over the next seven years, plus an additional 1.5% for broader defense-related areas.
**Upcoming Meeting and Ukraine’s Situation**
NATO Ministers of Foreign Affairs will discuss this proposal during an informal meeting in Antalya, Turkey, on May 14-15. The meeting takes place at the same time as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Istanbul.
**What This Means for NATO**
The development of a plan to increase defense spending among NATO allies is a significant step towards addressing Trump’s criticism. If implemented, this would lead to a substantial increase in military expenditures by Western allies.
However, the outcome of this meeting and the fate of this proposal remain uncertain. It will be crucial to see whether NATO members can come together to commit to increased defense spending and what implications this will have for their collective-defense efforts.
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