In a White House meeting on Thursday, President Donald Trump told reporters that Spain should be expelled from NATO.
US‑Finland Meeting
On Thursday, Donald Trump met with Finland’s leader Alexander Stubb at the White House. The politicians signed an agreement to sell the United States eleven icebreakers to strengthen security for both Finland and America.
The talks also covered NATO, Russian aggression and security.
Trump on Spain in NATO
During the meeting, a reporter asked Trump whether he planned to withdraw American forces from Europe. Trump answered “No, but we could shift some.”
He also noted Spain spends less on defense than most NATO countries, saying, “You’ll have to start talking to Spain (…). Maybe you should just throw them out of NATO.”
NATO Raises Defense Spending
NATO leaders announced in August that all member states will reach 2% of GDP for defense spending this year. The decision to increase funding was made in June at the Hague summit, driven by the Ukraine war and Western intelligence warning that Russia could attack NATO in three to five years after the conflict ends.
The United States currently spends 3.22% of its GDP on arms, making it one of the largest contributors. Poland spends 4.48% of its GDP on defense.
