In a post written in his usual blunt and combative style, U.S. President Donald Trump revisited the long-running issue of NATO funding, likely aiming to set the tone ahead of the alliance’s summit in Ankara on July 7 and 8.
Once again, Trump argued, in characteristically sweeping terms, that the United States shoulders a disproportionate financial burden for the alliance’s defense while getting little in return.
In his post, he cited figures for member states’ defense spending between 2014 and 2025, claiming the US spent 999 billion dollars, far more than any other NATO country. By his numbers, the United Kingdom spent 90.5 billion dollars, France 66.5 billion, Italy 48.8 billion and Poland 44.3 billion, while he said the rest of the alliance, Germany included, trailed even further behind, something he called “ridiculous.”
