, Columnist
NATO’s Spending Boost Is Nothing for Trump to Celebrate
A $100 billion increase makes for a nice headline, but the breakdown suggests Trump’s threats aren’t working.
Jens Stoltenberg, secretary general of NATO, with Donald Trump.
Photographer: Ron Sachs/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
President Donald Trump has helped prod his North Atlantic Treaty Organization allies to increase military spending by $100 billion since he came to power, or so Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says. But a look beyond the headline number suggests the president’s demands have resulted in cunning Trump-pleasing tactics rather than stronger defenses.
It’s undeniable that NATO defense expenditure increased in the two years since 2016, rising by a total of $101.7 billion, according to data collected by the organization. That, however, includes U.S. and Canadian spending.