NATO Begins 5 Percent Bargaining

- US increases pressure on European allies to allocate 5 percent of GDP for defense spending at NATO meeting.

US Pushes for 5 Percent Defense Spending at NATO

US President Donald Trump's call for NATO member countries to allocate 5 percent of their GDP for defense spending was officially discussed at the NATO ministerial meeting. Currently, the target of 2 percent is considered insufficient by the US, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reiterating the 5 percent demand. However, achieving the 5 percent target is deemed unattainable for many NATO members both politically and economically. While some countries like Poland, Estonia, and the US have exceeded the 2 percent target, the consensus leans towards a modest increase to around 3 percent. Turkey supports the increase in the target but has not specified a particular percentage. The new target is expected to be determined by the summit in The Hague in June.