Carney Says Trump Won NATO Spending Fight as Allies Target 5% of GDP
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Jul 8
Carney Says Trump Won NATO Spending Fight as Allies Target 5% of GDP
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jul 8
Summary
Mark Carney said Trump has "won the argument" on NATO defense spending, telling reporters in Ankara that years of U.S. pressure are pushing Canada and Europe to shoulder more of the alliance's burden.
A 5% of GDP target by 2035, agreed at NATO's 2025 Hague summit, has become the clearest sign of that shift as allies respond to security threats from Russia and Trump's demands for fairer burden-sharing.
Canada, which Carney said was spending about 1.4% of GDP on defense when his government took office, is now aiming to reach 4% before 2030 under NATO accounting and has announced submarines, Arctic satellite links and an $800 million missile contract.
Trump is also escalating pressure on laggards: he attacked Spain for rejecting the 5% goal and called for cutting U.S. trade and tourism ties, while NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker said countermeasures are under consideration.
The praise marks a sharp tonal shift for Carney, who has repeatedly clashed with Trump over tariffs and sovereignty, underscoring how NATO spending is emerging as a rare area of agreement.
Is Trump’s hardline stance truly strengthening NATO, or pushing allies towards a future without America?
Will doubling defense spending secure Europe, or sacrifice social welfare for a new arms race?
Can Europe's fragmented defense industry unite to forge a credible deterrent as the U.S. pivots away?
From 2% to 5%: NATO’s Unprecedented Defense Spending Pledge at the 2025 Summit
Overview
The 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague marked a turning point for the alliance, as leaders responded to the urgent need for greater burden-sharing and collective security amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. With the return of US President Trump and his transactional approach to diplomacy, discussions shifted dramatically. Allies reached a historic agreement to raise the defense spending target from 2% to 5% of GDP, signaling a unified commitment to strengthen NATO. This bold move reflects both the pressure from the US and the alliance’s recognition that increased investment is essential to address evolving security challenges.