WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Trump arrived in Brussels on Wednesday to take part in the 2017 NATO summit.
"As the president has said, he really wants participating NATO members to step up and fully meet their obligations of the burden sharing. 2% of GDP was a target they all agreed to," Tillerson said. "I think you can expect the president to be very tough on them, saying ‘Look the US is spending 4%. We’re doing a lot.’"
Trump softened his previous criticism of the alliance but continues to press all NATO members to meet their defense spending pledges.
NATO guidelines recommend member nations spend at least 2 percent of their GDP on defense, but their contributions are ultimately assessed on their own capabilities. Neither the alliance nor member nations pay the United States.
