President-elect Donald Trump is planning to continue military aid to Ukraine after his return to the White House. The transition team has told some members of NATO that the incoming president plans to increase member states’ minimum military spending levels to more than double the current amount.
The Financial Times reports, “In a boost for allies deeply concerned over their ability to support and protect Ukraine without Washington’s backing, Trump now intends to maintain US military supplies to Kyiv after his inauguration.”
On the campaign trail, Trump pledged to end the war in Ukraine and cut the massive military spending on weapons transfers to Kiev. As a candidate, he never publicly stated his plan to end the war but claimed he would do it during his first day in office.
Officials speaking with FT about Trump’s current thinking said, he has no plans to end weapons shipments to Ukraine even after the war. The president-elect “believes Ukraine should never be given membership of NATO, and wants an immediate end to the conflict” It continues, “The president-elect believed that supplying weapons to Kyiv after a ceasefire would ensure a “peace through strength” outcome.”
While the incoming president is viewing the policy as a concession to its European allies, it also plans to demand other NATO members drastically increase spending. “Donald Trump’s team has told European officials that the incoming US president will demand NATO member states increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP,” FT explains.
One European official said they believed Trump would be willing to compromise on raising the minimum to three percent of GDP. During Trump’s first presidency, he pressed nations in the alliance to hit the current minimum two percent. However, only two-thirds of the bloc currently meets that standard.
Officially, the US government measures current defense spending at just over three percent of GDP. To enforce the higher minimums, Trump is willing to place tariffs on NATO allies of ten to 20 percent, according to the Telegraph.
