Trump’s NATO Victory – Better Trade Deals, Lifting Tariffs and Selling Weapons to Europe

Just days after President Trump’s historic NATO breakthrough forced allies to double defense spending, the economic dividends are already materializing. European Union Council President Antonio Costa confirmed Friday that NATO’s agreement to raise defense spending targets from 2% to 5% of GDP “has solved the main trade-related issue between Europe and the United States” and will see Europe “buy American” weapons, directly rebalancing trade relations.

Republicans have long argued that Europe’s underinvestment in defense placed an unfair burden on U.S. taxpayers and distorted the transatlantic alliance. Since World War II, the United States has carried that burden, maintaining the world’s strongest military even after ending conscription in 1973. In 2024, the U.S. spent $997 billion on defense, more than double the $485 billion spent by all European NATO members combined.

The gap in capability is even wider.

Most European countries slashed defense budgets after the Cold War and phased out conscription, shifting resources toward expansive welfare systems now strained by mass migration. Only nine countries in Europe still maintain mandatory service, and most offer civilian alternatives that the majority of young men choose over military duty.

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