US President Donald Trump said the United States was paying “billions of dollars too much” for Europe’s security and would press NATO allies on burden sharing during the alliance’s summit….reports Asian Lite News Desk
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the United States was paying “billions of dollars too much” for Europe’s security, signalling that burden sharing would be a key issue during discussions with NATO allies at the alliance’s summit.
Speaking alongside NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte as the summit opened, Trump said he intended to raise his concerns directly with alliance members.
“I’m going to relay my problems,” Trump said.
He argued that the United States had been carrying a disproportionate share of NATO’s security responsibilities while also referring to Greenland and Iran as issues of concern.
“We’ve been treated unfairly. We pay disproportionately,” Trump said, adding that the United States was spending “billions of dollars too much” to guarantee Europe’s security.
The remarks came as NATO members sought to demonstrate increased defence commitments amid continuing questions over Washington’s long-term military engagement with the alliance.
Earlier, Rutte welcomed what he described as a significant rise in defence spending by European allies and Canada, saying an additional 258 billion US dollars committed for 2025 and 2026 represented a major boost to the alliance’s capabilities.
Speaking at NATO’s defence industry forum, Rutte said member states were signing defence agreements worth “literally billions of dollars” during the summit.
He said allies were announcing several major projects aimed at strengthening NATO’s military capabilities.
“These are billions that are invested in our security, boosting our economies and supporting hundreds of thousands of new jobs. It’s money well spent,” Rutte said.
As part of the announcements, NATO said it would procure five high-end, high-altitude and long-endurance uncrewed aircraft from Northrop Grumman while investing 40 billion US dollars over the next five years to enhance counter-drone capabilities across the alliance.
The initiative will also include a plan to train five times as many drone operators by the end of 2027.
“Drones have fundamentally altered the character of modern warfare and become a decisive factor on the battlefield,” NATO said in a statement.
“These initiatives will be essential to increase both Alliance readiness and resilience,” it added.
The alliance also announced plans to replace its ageing fleet of E3 airborne surveillance aircraft with up to 10 GlobalEye aircraft manufactured by Swedish defence company SAAB, with elements of the programme involving production and components from the United States and Canada.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson described the procurement programme as “a moment of great pride for Sweden.”
Rutte also highlighted what he called NATO’s “remarkable progress” in increasing defence expenditure across member states, an issue that has remained central to discussions with Trump, who has repeatedly urged allies to contribute a greater share towards collective security.
The summit comes as NATO seeks to strengthen its military readiness through higher defence spending, expanded procurement programmes and closer industrial cooperation among member countries.
