NATO call for emergency session after Trump demands increased defense spending

Trump later said that U.S. commitment to NATO 'remains very strong.'

Associated Press are reporting that the NATO secretary-general has ordered an emergency session on Thursday amid demands made by President Trump for increased defense spending. https://twitter.com/AP/status/1017346286243209216 https://twitter.com/AP/status/1017354815259774978 https://twitter.com/AP/status/1017356328493346816 Trump has demanded that certain member states must immediately meet - and exceed- the 2% military spending target that was originally set for 2024.

Deborah Haynes, defence editor of The Times, has confirmed this account.

She states that Trump told NATO allies this morning that "unless the wealthiest economies (read Germany, France, Spain, Italy) hit the 2% GDP target by January “we (U.S.) are going to do our own thing."

It's understood that Trump specifically singled out Belgium and Germany’s military spending for criticism.

After Trump's comments, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has postponed the summit program for the remainder of the day and called an emergency session. https://twitter.com/haynesdeborah/status/1017346598370795520 https://twitter.com/haynesdeborah/status/1017347176987492352 Following this emergency session, Trump stated that the U.S' commitment to NATO 'remains very strong." He has also claimed that the member states have now substantially' upped their commitment. This development has been in keeping with the tense environment that has prevailed during this week's NATO summit in Belgium. Trump has previously been critical of those countries that he believes aren't spending enough money on the military and he also stated his belief that "Germany is totally controlled by Russia."