NATO Chief Tells Allies to Raise Defense Spending or Learn Russian [Video]

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte called on members of the alliance to either increase their defense spending targets or start taking “Russian language courses.”

Why It Matters

President-elect Donald Trump has frequently spoken about the need for NATO allies to increase the amount they spend on defense.

NATO’s current target for members’ defense spending is 2 percent of their country’s GDP. Trump said in 2018 during his first administration that the defense spending goal for NATO should be doubled to 4 percent.

While on the campaign trail in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, Trump also accused NATO of relying too much on U.S. contributions. During a December appearance on NBC‘s Meet the Press, he even suggested the U.S. could look at leaving NATO if members don’t increase their defense spending.

Rutte has previously said Trump was right to push NATO to increase spending, saying at a November summit in Budapest that “you will …