President Donald Trump posted Thursday afternoon that the U.S. spends far more on NATO than any ally "without getting any benefit," singling out Germany and others for paying "MUCH LOWER." German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius responded that NATO rests on consensus, not blind obedience.
President Donald Trump escalated his criticism of NATO allies' defense spending in a social-media post Thursday afternoon, saying the United States pays far more than any partner "without getting any benefit" and that Germany and other members pay "MUCH LOWER." The post continues a sustained campaign by the president to pressure alliance members to increase military budgets. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius pushed back, stating that NATO "is not about blind obedience" and that decisions rest on consensus among all members.
The exchange follows a similar post earlier Thursday, as The Zioneer reported at 15:06 Jerusalem time, in which Trump criticized member states over defense spending gaps. NATO burden-sharing has been a central theme of the Trump administration's security policy, with senior officials including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth repeatedly calling on European allies to end "free riding." Pistorius's sharp response suggests growing friction between Washington and Berlin as the administration pushes for a 5% of GDP target that most allies have not met.
2 developments
- DevelopingTrump says NATO allies agreed to spend 5% of GDP on defense a year ago, most have not met target
- StrongNATO's Rutte credits Trump with spurring $1.2 trillion in European, Canadian defense spending
- DevelopingHegseth presses European NATO allies to end 'free riding' on US military
- DevelopingGerman Chancellor Merz says European nations understand they must do more within NATO
Source and signal
- Internal intake