In letters to NATO allies, Trump demands more defense spending

In June, President Trump sent strongly worded letters to the leaders of several NATO countries, calling on them to increase their defense spending before the United States runs out of patience.

Trump sent letters to Canada, Norway, Belgium, and Germany, and a person who saw the note to German Chancellor Angela Merkel told The New York Times Trump wrote there is "a growing frustration in the United States that some allies have not stepped up as promised. Continued German underspending on defense undermines the security of the alliance and provides validation for other allies that also do not plan to meet their military spending commitments, because others see you as a role model."

In 2014 during a summit in Wales, NATO members committed to spending two percent of gross domestic product on national defense, but not every country has done so. The next NATO summit will start July 11 in Brussels.

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