Tehran, IRNA – German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has voiced opposition to US President-elect Donald Trump’s call for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members to raise defense spending to five percent of Gross domestic product (GDP).
Scholz said on Thursday that five percent of GDP is a significant amount of money, emphasizing that they have a very clear decision-making process in NATO, and the alliance members are currently encouraged to allocate two percent of their GDP to defense.
He noted that for Europe’s largest economy, five percent of GDP would approximate 200 billion euros (about $206 billion) annually, while Germany’s federal budget is approximately 490 billion euros.
Meeting Trump’s demand would require Germany to either save or borrow an additional 150 billion euros each year, Scholz stated.
“That’s why I believe it’s better to focus on the path that NATO has long agreed upon,” he added.
Incoming US president Donald Trump has urged NATO countries to significantly increase defense spending to five percent of GDP—more than double the current target. However, few in Europe consider this figure feasible and many others oppose this demand.
Many European countries are experiencing budget constraints and struggling to meet even the 2-percent target. For example, France is currently grappling with how to continue increasing its defense spending, as the country’s budget process is hindered by political uncertainty.
In the UK, there is no clear timeline for reaching the target of 2.5 percent defense spending.
Also, the Czech government announced this week that it will achieve a defense spending level of 2 percent for the first time ever. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated on Wednesday, “It is realistic to talk about reaching 3 percent in several years.”
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