Trump slams NATO allies over insufficient defense spending - report

US President Donald Trump has sent letters to the leaders of some NATO states expressing Washingtonchr("39")s discontent over the countrieschr("39") non-compliance with their obligations to increase defense spending, Sputnik reported citing local media reported.

The letters to NATO allies, including Belgium, Canada, Germany and Norway, have been sent as early as last month, The New York Times newspaper reported on Monday.

"As we discussed during your visit in April, there is growing frustration in the United States that some allies have not stepped up as promised...Continued German underspending on defense undermines the security of the alliance and provides validation for other allies that also do not plan to meet their military spending commitments, because others see you as a role model," Trumpchr("39")s letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in particular, said as quoted by the media outlet.

Last week, Donald Trump reiterated that NATO allies should increase defense spending. Trump said the United States was paying "much more disproportionately to anyone else" in the alliance, which sets a spending target of 2 percent of a member state's gross domestic product (GDP).
In 2014, NATO allies pledged to end cuts to their defense spending, and gradually increase it toward the alliancechr("39")s designated 2-percent GDP target within a decade.

Trump has repeatedly called on NATO allies to respect this commitment, threatening, otherwise, to decrease Washingtonchr("39")s participation in the programs aimed at ensuring the security of NATO member states.