Polish President Wants NATO Members to Spend 3 Percent of GDP on Defense
Polish President Andrzej Duda sat down with Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York City on April 17 to discuss North Atlantic Treaty Organization defense spending. Specifically, the two men discussed Duda’s proposal for nato countries to spend 3 percent of their gross domestic product on defense.
During the 2½-hour meeting, Duda and Trump also discussed the war between Russia and Ukraine and the war between Hamas and Israel. Many European leaders are preparing for Trump’s potential return to the White House next year.
Defense spending: nato currently requires its member states to spend 2 percent of gdp on defense, but less than half of its 33 member states meet this requirement.
Trump has been critical of nato’s lack of defense spending in the past, so he was open to Duda’s suggestion to up the requirement to 3 percent. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has awakened many European leaders to the fact that they need to spend more.
European power: Considering the United States currently accounts for 60 percent of nato defense spending, many Americans are eager for Europe to spend more. Yet if every member of nato spent 3 percent of gdp on defense, the European Union’s defense budget would be roughly the same size as the United Statess’ defense budget.
This isn’t a problem as long as the EU and the U.S. are allies. But if the EU ever turned against America, the U.S. would experience something it has not experienced since the end of the Cold War: a geopolitical rival with military power to rival its own.
A 3 percent defense budget would make the EU a superpower.
Ten kings: For more than 75 years, the Trumpet and our predecessor, the Plain Truth, founded by the late Herbert W. Armstrong, have predicted that the EU would be pared down to 10 members who would surrender their military might to a pan-European leader playing the role of a modern-day Caesar.
The push for Europe to increase its defense spending is making the fulfillment of this prophecy possible.
Learn more: Read “Ten Kings of the New Holy Roman Empire Rising Now,” by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry.