German minister describes Trump’s 5 percent NATO defense spending proposal as ‘unrealistic’
Date
1/12/2025 4:47:48 AM
(MENAFN) German Economy Minister Robert Habeck has rejected US President-elect Donald Trump’s suggestion for NATO members to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP. In an interview with Funke media, Habeck called the proposal "unrealistic," stating that Germany and other NATO nations are unlikely to meet such a target.
Trump made the suggestion after highlighting the large gap in defense spending between the US and European countries, asserting that EU nations could afford to boost their budgets. However, Habeck emphasized that NATO’s current target of 2% is already challenging for many members, including Germany. He proposed a more moderate target of 3.5% as a medium-term goal, which is currently being discussed within NATO, stressing that Europe needs to invest more in defense due to growing security concerns.
Habeck, who is a Green Party candidate for chancellor in February’s elections, proposed financing the defense increase through special defense funds or by adjusting debt limits, without reducing other budgets. He argued that the hike should be temporary, with the goal of reducing spending once Germany achieves a satisfactory level of security.
Trump’s 5% target has sparked debates across Europe. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and opposition leader Friedrich Merz have both rejected the figure, with Merz emphasizing that meeting defense needs, rather than specific spending percentages, is the priority. Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte suggested that 4% could be a reasonable target, though he acknowledged that this would still fall short of fully modernizing NATO forces.
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