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cover of episode Panel: Will NATO's defense push secure or endanger Europe?

Panel: Will NATO's defense push secure or endanger Europe?

2025/6/27
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World Today
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NATO leaders have pledged to increase military spending to 5% of national GDP by 2035, a move hailed by Trump. The discussion revolves around whether this increase is a genuine strategic necessity or a political concession to keep the U.S. engaged. Concerns are raised about the economic implications and the potential for an arms race.
  • NATO leaders agreed to increase military spending to 5% of their national GDP by 2035.
  • Trump hailed the agreement as a big win for Western civilization.
  • There are concerns that the pledge is more of a political concession to keep the U.S. engaged than a genuine strategic necessity.

Shownotes Transcript

NATO leaders have agreed to ramp up military spending to 5% of their national GDP by 2035.

They made the pledge at a summit in The Hague, following months of pressure from US President Donald Trump.

Is NATO bending too far to keep Trump on board, or is this just what modern transatlantic alliance looks like? And does more military spending really make Europe safer, or does it risk triggering a new arms race and provoking more conflicts?

Host Zhao Ying is joined by Ruud van Dijk, Professor in History of International Relations, University of Amsterdam; Chen Weihua, China Daily EU Bureau Chief based in Brussels; Kamal Makili-Aliyev, Associate Professor at the School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg.