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Posted on 07/10/2026 3:07:57 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Even people who dislike Donald Trump tend to give him credit for one thing: getting NATO to pay its fair share. American presidents have long grumbled about burden sharing. Trump has been crude, theatrical and transactional, but the sentiment he expressed was broadly shared. And Europeans got the message. Non-American NATO countries collectively spent 1.4 percent of their combined gross domestic product on defense in 2014; in 2025, it was close to 2.3 percent.
But be careful what you wish for.
The usual assumption is that if Europe spends more, the United States will spend less. This is demonstrably wrong. European defense spending is at its highest level in decades, yet Trump has proposed a staggering $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027.
U.S. defense spending has never been determined only by the needs of NATO. It reflects America’s role as a global superpower, with bases, fleets and commitments across the world. Washington wants to deter Russia, counter China, project power in the Middle East, protect global sea-lanes, defend the homeland, maintain nuclear superiority, dominate space, lead in drones and artificial intelligence, and preserve the ability to fight far from home. In fact, the International Institute for Strategic Studies calculated in 2018 that direct spending on defense in Europe made up only about 5 percent of America’s total defense spending.
As Europe’s spending increases, the continent will become less dependent on the U.S., and less deferential to it.
For more than 75 years, America’s dominance within NATO has given Washington enormous advantages. The U.S. has more than 30 military bases across Europe, and these have allowed it to project power not just in Europe but in Africa, the Middle East...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
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Why post trash from the WaPo??
If they reboot “The Incredible Mr. Limpet,” Fareed would be great as Mr. Limpet.
I have paid attention to this. my whole adult life, and have NEVER heard even a single American President gripe publicly about NATO contributing its share.
The usual assumption is that if Europe spends more, the United States will spend less. This is demonstrably wrong. European defense spending is at its highest level in decades, yet Trump has proposed a staggering $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027.
Right- we’ll spend less on defending europe- and focus on America....usual left wing trash from the WaComPost...
How much is 5% of our military defense budget?
I don’t think America First cares if it’s only $1.00.
I also thought it was a stupid article. If anything, we need to increase spending on our own military since NATO seems to want to ban us from using their bases or overflying their territory.
The plagerist Indian speaks.
Bill Clinton would hit it.
What a stinking crock of crap!
Pollution like this needs to be flushed...
How do we know he hasn’t?
“As Europe’s spending increases, the continent will become less dependent on the U.S.”
Where’s the bad news in this?
When your political opponents tell you what they are thinking about...
Pay attention!
👍
European governments should act like grown-ups and fund their own defenses.(They won’t.) To continue to fund these European governments that are deadbeats & have weak military capabilities, is a foreign policy mistake & a drain on our Treasury.
We should’ve ended our phony obligations to Europe shortly after the USSR meltdown........nope , can’t have that.... permanent security bureaucracies need their money supply chain.
The United States of America doesn’t owe any country on this planet a security guarantee & when we go back to that “axiom of wisdom” our nation might have a chance at survival.
Say what ya want about WaPo, but this much is true.....
“yet Trump has proposed a staggering $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027.”
No thanks.
Don’t pretend this is some kind of valuable intel - it’s garbage.
Translation: Let’s hate Trump no matter what he does.
Lol!
Many NATO countries were spending a lot on defense during the 80s, they used to maintain their militaries.
Britain was spending almost 5%, France close to 4%.
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