Former US President Donald Trump is set to attend the NATO summit, where he will attempt to enforce the spending commitments made by member countries last year. During his presidency, Trump had been a vocal critic of NATO, arguing that the US was shouldering a disproportionate burden of the alliance’s defense costs. In response to his criticism, NATO members pledged to increase their defense spending to meet the alliance’s target of 2% of their GDP. However, many countries have been slow to fulfill their commitments, prompting Trump to push for greater burden-sharing. This week’s summit will provide Trump with an opportunity to hold NATO members accountable for their spending promises. The former President’s efforts are likely to be met with resistance from some European leaders, who have been skeptical of his approach to NATO. Nevertheless, Trump’s push for greater defense spending has sparked a necessary debate about the future of the alliance and the need for member countries to contribute more to their collective defense. As the summit gets underway, it remains to be seen whether Trump will succeed in enforcing the spending commitments and what implications this will have for the future of NATO.
On top of everything as it happens