Jul 12, 2018

Macron refutes Trump on NATO defense spending goals

Photo by LUDOVIC MARIN/AFP/Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron told reporters Thursday that NATO leaders did not agree to increase defense spending to more than 2% of GDP, citing a "very detailed" communique signed yesterday that confirms the goal of 2% by 2024, reports the AP.

Why it matters: Macron's comments refute President Trump's claim to reporters that "everyone's agreed to substantially up their commitment." The French president also denied reports that Trump told leaders the U.S. "would go it alone" if they didn't meet their spending targets, claiming that Trump never, "in public or in private, threatened to withdraw from NATO."

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