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Europe is responding to pressure from the administration of Donald Trump by significantly increasing defense expenditures, according to Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, UATV English informs.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Cavo Dragone said NATO allies are on track to meet the Alliance’s new defense planning goals, which envisage total security-related spending reaching 5% of GDP.
“We have a NATO defense planning process to give us the capabilities that we need, and we will acquire them in time to reach a total spending level of 5% of GDP,” he said, adding that the Alliance is “in good shape.”
The admiral also sought to downplay concerns about tensions between Europe and the United States, stressing that military cooperation within NATO remains stable despite political disagreements.
“From the military side, we don’t have any drama going on with the United States,” he noted.
Commenting on recent incidents involving Russian drones entering the airspace of NATO member states, including a drone strike on a residential building in Romania, Cavo Dragone urged allies not to overreact and to maintain a measured response.
His remarks came after U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered unusually blunt criticism of European allies during the Shangri-La Dialogue. Hegseth praised U.S. partners in Asia while arguing that Europe has been slower to adapt to new security realities.
The Trump administration has repeatedly called on European allies to shoulder a greater share of the burden for regional security. At last year’s NATO summit, all Alliance members except Spain committed to spending 3.5% of GDP on direct defense and an additional 1.5% on broader security-related investments.
Since then, several countries, particularly Germany, have accelerated military spending increases and are expected to highlight that progress at the upcoming NATO summit.
Recent debates have also been fueled by discussions about a potential reduction of U.S. military resources in Europe. While some European governments expressed concern over Washington’s announcements, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has maintained that the United States remains committed to the Alliance while expecting Europe to assume greater responsibility for its own defense.
The comments underscore a broader shift within NATO, where European governments are increasingly moving from reliance on American security guarantees toward larger national defense budgets and expanded military capabilities.
