Trump singles out Italy, UK, Germany as poor performers

U.S. President Donald Trump once again complained to reporters at the White House on June 22 that the United States has spent so much money on NATO, yet NATO allies "did not provide any help" when the U.S. sought assistance in striking Iran. Trump complained that, although he himself does not need any help and was just curious to see if NATO allies would come to help the U.S., they all refused to help with this "small matter," with "Italy poor, Germany poor, and the UK even saying 'wait until you win, then we'll come'." Trump stated that, so when NATO allies need help, the U.S. might not provide assistance either. Trump also claimed that the U.S. spends about $600 billion annually on NATO. However, a report released by Gabelli Asset Management in May this year pointed out that the claim "the U.S. pays billions to NATO is incorrect," as it confuses the U.S. defense budget with NATO's joint budget. The report noted that NATO's common budget accounts for only 0.2% of the total defense expenditure of the member countries. The U.S. contribution to NATO's common budget in 2025 is 15.9%, approximately $750 million to $770 million, less than 0.1% of its defense spending.