One of Donald Trump's most frequent complaints, since his first term as US president, has been over the relative level of contributions to NATO by members of this organization.
According to foreign media, Trump has often complained about the fact that many countries pay less to the alliance than Washington, although the latest figures published by NATO show that Germany matches US funding.
However, against the backdrop of Trump's complaints, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said today that defense spending by the organization's European members and Canada increased by 20% in 2024, compared to a year earlier, writes A2 CNN.
Many members have been anxious to show that they have accepted Trump's message and have already increased military spending, especially since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
NATO said a 20% increase in military spending by alliance members brought their total defense spending to more than $485 billion.
"I look forward to meeting NATO defense ministers next week, where we will talk about more investments, which will be better in defense," Rutte said in response to a request to NATO for the latest spending figures.
"The numbers are growing. In fact, spending from Europe and Canada has increased by 20% in 2024, bringing the total additional investment in recent years from $640 billion to $700 billion," Rutte said, writes A2 CNN.
NATO said it could not provide other figures at this time, writes A2 CNN.
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