President Donald Trump’s envoy emphasized that NATO countries must fairly share the burden of defense spending before the alliance considers expansion, including the possible membership of Ukraine.
“You will face a very big problem with the U.S. if NATO’s Secretary General keeps pushing for Ukraine’s membership,” Richard Grenell, President Trump’s special envoy, said on January 23.
Grenell’s remarks followed a statement from NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who previously served as Dutch prime minister. Rutte suggested that Ukraine’s official NATO membership would be the "most straightforward outcome" if lasting peace could be guaranteed.
“You cannot ask the American people to extend NATO’s protective umbrella while existing members fail to contribute fairly, including the Netherlands. The Netherlands also needs to increase its contributions,” Grenell said.
Call for Higher Defense Spending
Grenell reiterated President Trump’s demand that NATO members increase defense spending. "We need to ensure these leaders commit to paying their fair share," he stated.
He also criticized former President Joe Biden for not engaging in direct talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin since the Ukraine conflict began. Grenell noted that President Trump is pressuring Moscow and Kyiv to “come to the negotiating table.”
“Americans are extremely frustrated that we’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars while our leaders are not engaging in talks to solve the issue,” Grenell stressed.
In 2023, NATO’s 32 member states set a minimum defense spending target of 2% of GDP. President Trump has proposed raising this to 5%. Secretary General Rutte acknowledged the need for higher spending, saying, “We’ll decide on the exact number later this year, but it will be significantly higher than 2%.”
Europe Must Step Up
Rutte also highlighted that Europe must contribute more to ensure continued U.S. defense support. "We need to be prepared to do so, as the U.S. is currently contributing much more than Europe. President Trump is right about this,” he said.
Following Grenell’s comments, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo reminded NATO members to focus on their shared adversary. “I see partners criticizing each other quite a lot. That’s not helpful,” De Croo said.
Context of Ukraine Membership
Earlier this month, President Trump criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, for allegedly approving Ukraine’s path to NATO membership, suggesting it provoked Russia’s actions.
In reality, NATO members agreed in 2008 to the possibility of Ukraine joining the alliance. However, the U.S. and Germany have recently hesitated to support Ukraine’s membership due to concerns that it could drag NATO into a direct conflict with Russia.
(Sources: AFP)
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