With Donald Trump’s return to the Oval Office, Europe finds itself under renewed pressure to increase its defense spending. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte recently addressed the European Parliament, warning that Europe’s current defense expenditure remains inadequate to meet modern security challenges. The message is clear: Europe must step up, or face intensified scrutiny from a US president known for his sharp criticism of NATO allies.

Trump’s focus on defense spending during his first term set the tone for a contentious relationship with European NATO members. While he was not the first US president to voice concerns about Europe’s financial commitment to collective defense, Trump’s rhetoric was uniquely blunt. He repeatedly accused European countries of freeloading on the US and threatened to withdraw from NATO if members failed to meet their defense spending targets. He also made the unfounded claim that European nations owed the US “back payments,” heightening tensions within the alliance.

NATO members are expected to allocate 2 percent of their gross domestic product (GDP) to defense, a benchmark established in 2006 under President George W. Bush. By 2014, the target was largely ignored, with only three alliance members-the US, the UK, and Greece-meeting the goal. Russia’s annexation of Crimea that same year served as a wake-up call, prompting NATO to reaffirm its commitment to the 2 percent benchmark by 2024.

Trump’s first term amplified the urgency of this commitment. His relentless criticism, combined with Russia’s increasingly aggressive actions-culminating in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine-convinced many European nations to increase their defense budgets. At the 2023 NATO summit, 23 out of 32 members were reported to have met the 2 percent target. While this marks significant progress, several members still fall short. The problem is........

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