News / Military

Trump administration moves to pay less in US share of NATO

Thursday, 28 November 2019 12:58 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 28 November 2019 1:04 AM ]

A NATO Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) aircraft stands on the tarmac during signing of a $1-billion contract with Boeing to modernize the alliance’s fleet of AWACS aircraft, at Melsbroek on the outskirts of Brussels on November 27, 2019. (AFP photo)

The administration of US President Donald Trump is moving to pay the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) a less share.

In an attempt to bring US funding closer to that of Germany’s, Washington is seeking to reduce its contribution to the military alliance to approximately 16 percent of the organization’s budget, USA Today reported along with other news outlets Wednesday.

Trump has been complaining about the higher cost the NATO alliance has had for the US but so far, only eight of the 29 members meet the new goal, and other members have pledged to dedicate the money by 2024.

Trump discussed pulling US out of NATO last year: Report

Frustrated with NATO allies’ refusal to raise their military spending, Trump reportedly discussed leaving the treaty on more than one occasion in 2018.

"All allies have agreed a new cost sharing formula. Under the new formula, cost shares attributed to most European allies and Canada will go up, while the US share will come down," an unnamed NATO official told CNN. "This is an important demonstration of Allies’ commitment to the Alliance and to fairer burden-sharing."

The United States formerly paid about 22 percent of NATO's roughly $2.5 billion in annual common fund costs, a figure lowered to almost 16 percent, amounting to around a $150-million difference.