Trump Shames NATO Leaders on Defense Spending
- President says many alliance members ‘owe massive amounts’
- Merkel says other security outlays must count toward goal
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke about the global threat of terrorism and made the case for NATO members to contribute their fair share in a speech at NATO headquarters in Brussels. (Source: Bloomberg)
U.S. President Donald Trump hectored NATO leaders to pay their “fair share” on defense to help counter the terrorist threat, in a public shaming that risked souring a ceremony intended to mark the alliance’s unity.
Citing this week’s attack in the English city of Manchester, Trump told fellow alliance leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel that NATO should focus its efforts on combating terrorism. Yet of the 28 member nations, 23 “are still not paying what they should be paying and what they’re supposed to be paying for their defense,” he said.