The White House reiterated on Tuesday its position that European partners must increase their military expenditure until reaching 5% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), stressing that Donald Trump will not yield in this goal. This demand is significant … For Spain, which, among all NATO member countries, is in the last place in investment in defense in proportion to its GDP, around 1.29%.
According to the press secretary in her first public intervention, “there is no better ally of European partners than President Trump, who defends a peace strategy through force.” Karoline Leavitt recalled that in the Davos forum, NATO general secretary Jens Stoltenberg echoed Trump’s demands by defending a greater defense expense by the partners. The same day of his investiture, Trump first raised that 5% proposal as a goal for allied countries, and expressly warned Spain of tariffs of up to 100%.
Until now, the objective of investment in defense was 2% of GDP for this year, as a way of rearming on Russian expansionism. All countries are below that 5%, including the United States, which is currently around 3.4% and is still the greatest world power in military affairs. Only Estonia and Poland overcome it.
The new press secretary offered on Tuesday her first press conference, marking a significant change in a protocol of decades granted the first question to the Associated Press agency. In a turn that underlines the priorities of the new communications team, Leavitt allocated a special space to emerging media, giving prominence to two digital platforms: axios, recognized for its innovative approach in journalism, and Breitbart, known for its populist activism. This decision reflects a deliberate effort to diversify the questions in the press room and redefine traditional dynamics between the administration and the established means.
At the moment, Trump has not directly contacted the great members of the United States within NATO. His first conversations have been with the Saudi heir prince, Mohamed Bin Salman, and the president of El Salvador, Nayib Bikele.
He has declared that he is willing to initiate contacts with the president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, who has expressed his intention to negotiate the end of the invasion of Ukraine, although a date for these meetings has not been established. Trump has been in favor of reducing military aid to Ukraine as a way of pressing this country to accept concessions in exchange for an end of hostilities.
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