Trump and Polish President discuss NATO members increasing their defense spending

By Rashard Rose, CNN

(CNN) — Former President Donald Trump and Polish President Andrzej Duda discussed NATO spending in a dinner meeting at Trump Tower in New York City Wednesday, according to a readout of the meeting from the Trump campaign.

The pair “discussed President Duda’s proposal for NATO countries to go to 3% spending on their defense,” according to the campaign. CNN previously reported that Duda has called for all NATO member states to increase their defense spending to 3% of GDP, up from the current pledge of 2%.

Duda reiterated the proposal to President Joe Biden during a March 12 meeting, saying, “Two percent was good ten years ago. Now three percent is required in response to the full-scale war launched by Russia right beyond NATO’s eastern border.”

During the two-and-a-half hour meeting, Trump and Duda also discussed the war between Russia and Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East, the campaign said.

Trump, the presumptive GOP nominee, has been critical of NATO defense spending. In February, the former president said he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to any NATO member country that doesn’t meet spending guidelines on defense, alarming many leaders in Washington and Europe.

European diplomats are preparing for Trump’s potential return to the White House, CNN reported last week, working to set up guard rails for NATO and trying to ensure lasting support for Ukraine in its war with Russia.

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