Tusk urged to look positively at Trump's calls to increase defense spending

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Wednesday, January 22, that US leader Donald Trump's calls for Europe to increase defense spending and provide for its own security should be taken as a positive signal by the EU.

"Today, perhaps the most important words to be said in the European Parliament are those addressed directly to European women and Europeans. Raise your heads high. Europe was, is and will be great," the politician said, speaking in the European Parliament.

Tusk added that the "time of comfort" is over. Therefore, the EU, in his opinion, should heed the US President's words about increasing defense spending - "only an ally can wish its ally to become stronger."

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The day before, Trump said he would push for North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member states to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. He also complained that the US has spent $200 billion more than other countries on military aid to Ukraine and said they would have to "level things out".

On December 21, 2024, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that Trump's desire to ask NATO countries to increase defense spending by 5% of GDP would be a killer for Budapest. The politician noted that Hungary's achievement of the 2% of GDP defense spending target has already required significant efforts and sacrifices.