NATO allies - excluding the US - will increase defence spending by 4.3% in victory for Donald Trump after he warned member states 'must finally contribute their fair share'

  • Trump has repeatedly hit out at NATO nations for not spending more on defence
  • But NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg says US allies will increase spending by 4.3%
  • In May Trump warned NATO members 'must finally contribute their fair share'

By JULIAN ROBINSON FOR MAILONLINE

Published: | Updated:

NATO allies - excluding the US - will increase defence spending by 4.3% in a victory for Donald Trump after he warned member states that they 'must finally contribute their fair share'.

America's European allies and Canada are projected to spend around $12billion more on defence this year amid pressure from the US President.

Trump has repeatedly berated the allies for not doing more to share the defence burden and bluntly told them again at a leaders' summit in Brussels last month that they could not count on Washington coming to their aid if they did not do their bit.

NATO allies - excluding the US - will increase defence spending by 4.3% in a victory for Donald Trump (pictured) after he warned member states that they 'must finally contribute their fair share'

NATO allies - excluding the US - will increase defence spending by 4.3% in a victory for Donald Trump (pictured) after he warned member states that they 'must finally contribute their fair share'

America's European allies and Canada are projected to spend around $12billion more on defence this year amid pressure from the US President (file picture)

America's European allies and Canada are projected to spend around $12billion more on defence this year amid pressure from the US President (file picture)

Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels today: 'In 2017, we foresee an even greater annual real increase of 4.3 per cent. We are really shifting gears, the trend is up and we intend to keep it up.'  

Trump's comments in May caused consternation among many, notably Germany, but Stoltenberg said the president's demands were understandable given the challenges the US-led alliance now faces.

'I welcome the strong focus of Trump on spending and defence burden sharing,' he said.

'At the same time, I also underline that allies should invest more in defence not to please the United States but because it is in their own interest and they have made the commitment.'

Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, recalled that the 28 allies had pledged at a 2014 summit in Wales to increase defence spending to the equivalent of two per cent of annual economic output within a decade.

Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels today: 'In 2017, we foresee an even greater annual real increase of 4.3 per cent. We are really shifting gears, the trend is up and we intend to keep it up.' 

Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels today: 'In 2017, we foresee an even greater annual real increase of 4.3 per cent. We are really shifting gears, the trend is up and we intend to keep it up.' 

Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, recalled that the 28 allies had pledged at a 2014 summit in Wales to increase defence spending to the equivalent of two percent of annual economic output within a decade

Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, recalled that the 28 allies had pledged at a 2014 summit in Wales to increase defence spending to the equivalent of two percent of annual economic output within a decade

That move, pushed by then president Barack Obama in response to the Ukraine crisis and a more aggressive Russia, had halted and reversed years of defence cuts, Stoltenberg said.

So far only five allies have met that benchmark - the US, Greece, Britain, Estonia and Poland. But Stoltenberg said Romania was set to join them this year, and Latvia and Lithuania in 2018.

In 2015, the allies turned the corner with an increase of 1.8 per cent overall, pushed that to 3.3 per cent in 2016 and now looked to go further again this year, he said.

In all, the three years represented an overall increase of $46 billion dollars, boosting NATO's ability to face the Russian challenge in Europe and new threats such as ISIS-inspired jihadi terrorism across the Middle East and North Africa.

The United States accounts for about 70 per cent of combined NATO defence spending and Washington has pushed the allies for years to do more to ease the burden.

Trump, however, has pressed hardest of all, putting the allies on the back foot by dubbing NATO 'obsolete' and questioning the wisdom of the US security commitment if they failed to live up to their side of the bargain.  

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