RT.com
01 Apr 2025, 18:20 GMT+10
The US president earlier threatened not to defend the bloc unless it drastically increases defense spending
NATO will remain intact despite pressure from US President Donald Trump, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said. She warned, however, that some member states must be ready to make difficult choices to meet the required level of defense spending.
In an interview with Spanish daily El Mundo on Monday, Kallas was asked whether "NATO [will] survive Trump's term." "I'm sure. It's a strong alliance that's alive and well", she replied, adding that member nations have committed to spending at least 2% of GDP on defense by 2024 - a threshold that a significant portion of the bloc has yet to reach.
"I hear the problems some countries are having, but I also think it's illusory to get out of this situation without making difficult and unpopular decisions," she said, citing her tenure as prime minister of Estonia during which the country raised taxes.
Pressed on why the EU does not propose direct subsidies for those lagging behind in defense spending, Kallas stated that the bloc must balance the interests of highly indebted countries and those that contribute the most to the EU budget. To address this, the EU has instituted "relief measures in the fiscal rules to give member states more room to operate," which could give countries a number of options to increase spending, she added.
Since his first term, Trump has been pushing European NATO members to spend more on their own defense. While the bloc's members agreed to reach a 2% threshold, in February, the US president suggested that NATO members should consider spending as much as 5% of GDP on defense. Last month, he warned: "if they don't pay, I'm not going to defend them."
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said Trump was right to demand that European members step up defense spending.
NATO leaders have insisted that the hike in military expenditure is aimed at deterring Russia amid the Ukraine conflict. Some officials have suggested that Moscow could launch a full-scale attack on the US-led bloc within a few years.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has dismissed the speculation as "nonsense," arguing that Moscow has no interest in doing so.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Barbados Bulletin news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Barbados Bulletin.
More InformationEvery day, police across Australia investigate thousands of incidents—any one of which could unlock a major case on the other side...
(Athens, May 8, 2025) - Greece faces a media freedom crisis as a result of actions and failures by the Greek government, threatening...
New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): Social media platform X has received executive orders from the Indian government requiring X to block...
Canada's second-largest airline suspends nine U.S. routes: mediaCanada's second-largest airline, WestJet, is pausing nine routes between...
New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his opening remarks at the 20th India-Iran Joint Commission...
Kim Jong-un personally inspected the operational reliability of the nuclear trigger system North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has overseen...
New Delhi [India], May 9 (ANI): As Rohit Sharma brings the curtain down on his illustrious Test career, tributes have been pouring...
Vatican City, May 9 (ANI): The Vatican conclave on Thursday chose a new Pope, Robert Prevost - the first American pope, Vatican News...
Chicago-born prelate Robert Francis Prevost has been chosen on the second day of conclave ...
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 8 (ANI): Rohit Sharma's decision to retire from Test cricket has left his wife Ritika Sajdeh heartbroken....
Washington DC [US], May 8 (ANI): China's communist government is suspected of operating electronic intelligence gathering sites in...
New Delhi [India], May 8 (ANI): India's 'God of Cricket' Sachin Tendulkar on Thursday said Rohit Sharma's cricket journey has been...