INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NATO leaders on Wednesday backed the big boost in defence spending that U.S
President Donald Trump had actually demanded, and reiterated their commitment to defend each other from attack after a quick summit in the
Netherlands.While Trump got what he wanted at the annual conference, tailor-made for him, his NATO allies will be eased that he devoted to
the fundamental concept of collective defence after less clear-cut language on Tuesday.Trump informed an interview that we had a terrific
victory here, adding that he hoped that the additional funds would be spent on military hardware made in the U.S.Trump threatens to punish
SpainHowever, he threatened to penalize Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared it might fulfill its dedications to NATO while
investing much less than the brand-new target of 5% of GDP.I think its awful
You know, they (Spain) are doing extremely well ..
And that economy could be blown right out of the water when something bad occurs, Trump said, adding that Spain would get a tougher trade
than other European Union countries.In a five-point declaration, NATO backed the greater defence costs objective - a response not just to
Trump but likewise to Europeans fears that Russia poses a growing threat to their security following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.The 32
allies short communique added: We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defence as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty
that an attack on one is an attack on all.Asked to clarify his own stance on Article 5 after current unclear remarks, Trump said: I stand
If I didnt stand with it, I wouldnt be here.Macron brings up trade tensions at NATO SummitTrump had long required in no unpredictable terms
that other nations step up their costs to lower NATOs heavy reliance on the U.S.Despite a look of basic agreement, French President Emmanuel
Macron raised the concern of the steep import tariffs threatened by Trump, and the damage they may do to transatlantic trade, as a barrier
to increased defence spending.We cant state we are going to spend more and after that, at the heart of NATO, launch a trade war, Macron
said, calling it an aberration
He stated he had raised it a number of times with Trump.NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who hosted the summit in his home city of The
Hague, stated NATO would become a more powerful, fairer and more deadly alliance.The former Dutch prime minister stated Trump deserved all
the appreciation for getting NATO members to agree on raising defence spending.Asked by a press reporter if he had actually deployed
excessive flattery to keep Trump onside throughout the top, Rutte stated the 2 men were good friends and judgment of his method referred
taste.New NATO spending targets are dauntingThe brand-new costs target - to be achieved over the next 10 years - is a jump worth hundreds of
billions of dollars a year from the current goal of 2% of GDP, although it will be determined differently.Countries promised to spend 3.5%
of GDP on core defence - such as troops and weapons - and 1.5% on more comprehensive defence-related measures such as cyber security,
protecting pipelines and adjusting roadways and bridges to handle heavy military vehicles.The extra costs will be a high order for European
nations, a number of which have strained finances.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy needed to settle for participating in the
pre-summit supper on Tuesday evening instead of the primary meeting on Wednesday, although he satisfied Trump independently after the
conference ended.The Kremlin has implicated NATO of being on a course of widespread militarisation and portraying Russia as a fiend of hell
in order to validate its big increase in defence spending.Source: Reuters-- Agencies
