German Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared on social media on Wednesday that his country would have the “highest defence budget” in Europe and would maintain the 2% target “in the decades to come… for safety and reliability”.
Estonian intelligence chief Kaupo Rosin warned on Tuesday that Nato could face a “Soviet-style mass army in the next decade”.
Speaking at a rally on Saturday, Mr Trump said he had once told a Nato leader he would not protect a nation behind on its payments, and would “encourage” the aggressors to “do whatever the hell they want”.
The remarks were denounced as “dangerous” and “un-American” by President Joe Biden, and condemned by the Nato secretary general and German chancellor.
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 heavily influenced Western defence spending last year, and 11 countries were expected to have met the 2% target in 2023.
Seven more countries are likely to follow suit in 2024, and Germany’s projected spending is set to climb to the equivalent $73.41bn (€68.5bn;£58.5bn), according to German press agency DPA.
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