Trump may skip NATO summit unless EU meets defense spending demands – Der Spiegel

US President Donald Trump may not attend the upcoming NATO summit scheduled for June in The Hague if European allies fail to meet his demands on defense spending, Der Spiegel reported, citing diplomatic sources.

According to the publication, Matthew Whitaker, the new US ambassador to NATO, reportedly warned German officials that Trump is unlikely to participate in the summit unless alliance members publicly commit to significantly increasing their defense budgets.

Sources familiar with internal discussions say Whitaker has repeatedly emphasized at NATO meetings that the Trump administration expects member states to pledge at least 5% of their GDP to defense spending — a figure far exceeding NATO's current guideline of 2%.

There has been no official confirmation of Trump's potential absence, and summit organizers have stated they have not received any notice from the US about a cancellation.

Trump has long criticized NATO allies, particularly in Europe, for not investing enough in their military budgets, and his administration appears set to continue pressuring partners to shoulder more of the alliance’s financial burden.