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Trump Calls NATO “Paper Tiger,” Demands Europe Reach 5% Budgets.

7/3/2026

47 9 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

President Donald Trump called NATO a “paper tiger,” saying it was useless after Hormuz Strait episode.
He warned that any U.S. withdrawal would need congressional approval.
He listed U.S. NATO spending at $999 billion (2014-2025) versus $90.5 billion for the United Kingdom, $66.5 billion for France, $48.8 billion for Italy and $44.3 billion for Poland.
He urged European members to raise defense budgets to meet the 5 percent of GDP target by 2035.

History

Historical Context

Founded in 1949 to counter the Soviet threat, NATO shifted from Cold-War deterrence to its first combat operation in Kosovo in 1999, when the alliance’s budget was $2.5 billion and the United States covered about 70 percent. Trump’s 2024 call for European members to meet a 5 % GDP defense target revives the long-standing U.S.–Europe burden-sharing clash that still shapes NATO under Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg.

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Story summary

President Donald Trump called NATO a “paper tiger,” saying it was useless after Hormuz Strait episode.
He warned that any U.S. withdrawal would need congressional approval.
He listed U.S. NATO spending at $999 billion (2014-2025) versus $90.5 billion for the United Kingdom, $66.5 billion for France, $48.8 billion for Italy and $44.3 billion for Poland.
He urged European members to raise defense budgets to meet the 5 percent of GDP target by 2035.

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