Trump scolds Italy’s Meloni due to army spending
(MENAFN)
U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to increase Italy’s military spending, arguing that NATO’s current goal of 2% of GDP is no longer sufficient.
U.S. President Donald Trump has urged Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to increase Italy’s military spending, arguing that NATO’s current goal of 2% of GDP is no longer sufficient.
Trump, a long-time critic of European defense contributions, reiterated his stance during a joint press conference with Meloni in Washington on Thursday. While Meloni affirmed Italy’s intention to reach the 2% spending target at the upcoming NATO summit, Trump interrupted to emphasize that “it will go up.” When asked whether 2% was enough, Trump bluntly responded, “It’s never enough.”
Italy's defense spending currently sits at 1.49% of GDP—one of the lowest among NATO members. Meloni has previously proposed including costs related to border control and coast guard operations under defense spending to help meet the target.
In January, Trump raised eyebrows by suggesting NATO members should aim for at least 5% of GDP in defense spending. According to NATO estimates cited by the BBC, 23 out of the 32 member states met the 2% goal last year. The U.S. leads the alliance with defense spending at approximately 3.5% of GDP.
Italy’s Defense Minister Guido Crosetto pushed back against Trump’s 5% proposal, telling La Stampa that it's "unthinkable" for European nations to drastically cut social services to meet such demands. “European countries can’t touch welfare and social achievements,” he said.
Tensions escalated further last week when Trump suggested he might withdraw some or all of the 84,000 U.S. troops currently stationed in Europe, criticizing the imbalance in military spending. “We pay for the military in Europe. We don’t get reimbursed by much,” he told reporters.
The New York Times also reported on Monday that the Trump administration is considering deep cuts to funding for international organizations, including the United Nations and NATO.
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