Trump’s warning over Nato spending

DONALD TRUMP’S administration has issued an ultimatum to Nato members, demanding they start increasing defence spending or Washington will “moderate its commitment” to them.

James Mattis, the Pentagon chief, said the new “political reality” in America meant it was unacceptable for Washington to continue carrying the burden of defending European states.

Low-spending countries were in denial and had turned their back on the threat posed by Russia and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, the newly appointed US defence secretary said. Mr Mattis said the alliance must set out a timetable for when members will hit the Nato target of spending 2 per cent of gross domestic product on defence.

The White House is embroiled in its own crisis about alleged contact between members of Mr Trump’s election team and senior Russian spies.

Nato sources at a meeting of defence ministers in Brussels said they were waiting to see how the new US administration will tackle Russia.

The new president has repeatedly refused to criticise Vladimir Putin’s actions, and Mr Trump last night said that Russia had “taken” Crimea, despite Nato’s refusal to recognise the annexation.

Addressing other defence ministers at a Nato conference in Brussels, Mr Mattis said the call for other nations to pull their weight was a “fair demand”.

His warning came only weeks after Theresa May returned from a trip to Washington maintaining that Mr Trump was “100 per cent behind Nato”.

Mr Mattis said the new US administration still regarded the alliance as the “fundamental bedrock” of the transatlantic community.

However, it was no longer acceptable for the American taxpayer to “carry a disproportionate share of the defence of Western values”, according to a statement released after closed-door talks.

“Americans cannot care more for your children’s future security than you do,” Mr Mattis said. He did not give details of how America might “moderate” its support.

Nato allies had been hoping for reassurance that the world’s only superpower remained committed to the alliance, after Mr Trump attacked it repeatedly during his election campaign.

Nato asks all members to spend 2 per cent of their GDP on defence, but only five of them do – America, Britain, Greece, Estonia and Poland. The alliance is largely reliant on America, which spends more than the other members combined. Germany spends only 1.2 per cent on defence, while Italy and Spain spend barely 1 per cent.

After the meeting, Sir Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said “the impatience of the American taxpayer is a reality”.

The German government’s spokesman on Russia has accused Mr Trump of undermining the joint position towards the Kremlin.

Mr Trump has promised better ties with Russia whereas the EU has said it will keep sanctions in place until Moscow drops its support for the separatist rebellion in Ukraine.

“Washington is undermining the ability to act of Western politics,” Gernot Erler said. “Donald Trump radiates a great sense of uncertainty.”