Trump’s Return: Aid to Ukraine and Pressure on NATO Defense Budgets

Donald Trump is expected to continue providing military assistance to Ukraine during his second term, while pushing for NATO allies to significantly increase their defense spending, the Financial Times reports. The plan involves NATO member states doubling their defense expenditure to 5% of GDP, alongside offering European Union countries more favorable trade terms with the United States.

Sources close to Trump's foreign policy team revealed that, while maintaining military aid to Ukraine, Trump will also aim to broker an end to hostilities between Ukraine and Russia. In discussions held in December with senior European officials, his team outlined plans to strengthen the United States' policy toward Europe and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Despite alarming European leaders during the campaign with his remarks about potentially cutting off aid to Ukraine and compelling NATO members to increase their defense spendingTrump's Return: Aid to Ukraine and Pressure on NATO Defense Budgets or risk reduced US support, Trump's administration has signaled its commitment to assisting Ukraine.

During recent meetings with NATO allies, it was conveyed that Trump would seek to raise the alliance's spending target from the current 2% of GDP to 5%. However, some sources suggested that he may settle for 3.5% and tie this increase to improved trade agreements between the United States and Europe. NATO leaders are already deliberating an increase to at least 3% ahead of a summit scheduled for June in The Hague. This decision, however, presents financial challenges for many European governments.

The United States currently spends approximately 3.1% of its GDP on defense, with Trump aiming to match or exceed the 3.4% reached during his previous administration. This...