Former United States President Donald Trump has made a series of bold assertions regarding the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), claiming credit for a significant surge in defence expenditure by member nations. In a recent post on his Truth Social platform, Trump stated that his direct intervention was the catalyst for this change.
Trump's Claims on NATO Spending and Global Conflicts
Trump argued that before his involvement, NATO allies were spending only about 2 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defence, with many nations "not paying their bills." He claimed he personally pushed these countries to raise their contributions dramatically. He set a new target of 5 per cent of GDP, a figure substantially higher than the alliance's longstanding goal of 2%. According to Trump, this pressure worked, and allies now pay "immediately." He attributed this success to the strong personal relationships he built with other world leaders during his term.
Beyond financial matters, the former president made sweeping statements about global security. He suggested that Russia would have taken "all of Ukraine right now" if not for his actions. Trump further stated he had "single-handedly ended" eight wars, saving millions of lives in the process.
Doubts on NATO's Strength and a Nobel Dig
Trump expressed a critical view of NATO's autonomous power, stating that both Russia and China have "zero fear" of the military alliance without the backing of the United States. He also questioned whether NATO countries would reciprocate support for the US if a crisis emerged, though he reiterated that Washington would continue to stand by the alliance.
Reflecting on his first term, Trump said he rebuilt the US military, which he believes is a primary reason adversaries respect America. In a pointed aside, he took a swipe at Norway, a NATO member, for not awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize, while adding that such recognition was unimportant to him.
The "DJT Rebuilt" America as the Only Deterrent
Concluding his social media statement, Trump positioned himself as central to global deterrence. He claimed the only nation that Russia and China truly fear is what he termed the "DJT rebuilt" United States. He ended the post with his iconic campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again," linking his past policies to his current political narrative.
These comments come amid ongoing debates about burden-sharing within NATO and the future of US commitment to the transatlantic alliance. Trump's claims about pushing spending to 5% of GDP represent a significant escalation of the public discourse on defence budgets, which has traditionally centred on the 2% benchmark agreed upon by members.
