Washington, 8 January 2025 (dpa/MIA) - US President-elect Donald Trump said that NATO countries should be spending 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence, up from the current 2% target.

"They can all afford it, but they should be at 5% not 2%," he said during a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

Trump, who returns to the White House on January 20, has long been a critic of NATO, claiming that many European members are free-riders who don't pay their way, relying instead on US taxpayers.

During the election campaign, the Republican had said he would work within NATO to ensure that all 32 alliance members spend at least 3% on defence in the future - a demand that has now been ramped up even further.

At a campaign rally last year he went so far as to say he would "encourage" Russia "to do whatever the hell they want" to NATO countries that are not spending enough on defence.

At his press conference on Tuesday, Trump boasted that it was only his pressure during his first term that had caused NATO partners to spend more.

"I'm the one that got them to pay 2%," he continued, specifically mentioning Germany as a laggard when it comes to defence expenditure.

According to NATO estimates last year, 23 members were expected to meet or exceed the 2% of GDP target in 2024.

The German government has reported defence spending of around €90.6 billion ($94.9 billion) for 2024. According to estimates from June, this could correspond to a share of GDP of around 2.1%.

NATO estimates the United States spent about 3.38% on defence in 2024 - well under 5%.

A decision on new spending pledges is expected to be made at the alliance's summit next June.

Photo: MIA archive