Buy American to avoid a trade war with Trump, Italy says https://www.politico.eu/article/buy-...ntonio-tajani/
Romui: https://charter97.org/ru/news/2025/1/31/628188/
BRUSSELS — If Europe wants to avoid a trade war with Donald Trump, it has to buy more from the U.S., boost defense budgets and deregulate to make the EU economy stronger, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told POLITICO.
The problem for Rome is that it doesn't have much credibility on military spending — a key metric for Trump, who has repeatedly threatened not to defend countries he feels are free-riding on the U.S. Italy is spending 1.57 percent of GDP on defense, one of the lowest levels in NATO and well below the alliance target of at least 2 percent.
And that target set in 2014 will almost certainly be boosted later this year. Trump wants it to rise to 5 percent, a figure supported by Poland, Estonia and Lithuania. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said the new goal will be “north of 3 percent.”
Tajani has already spoken to new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They discussed Ukraine, with Tajani saying Rubio insisted the U.S. "won't give up on Ukraine.” Tajani also said the U.S. "must be present in Africa, in the Mediterranean."
The problem for Rome is that it doesn't have much credibility on military spending — a key metric for Trump, who has repeatedly threatened not to defend countries he feels are free-riding on the U.S. Italy is spending 1.57 percent of GDP on defense, one of the lowest levels in NATO and well below the alliance target of at least 2 percent.
And that target set in 2014 will almost certainly be boosted later this year. Trump wants it to rise to 5 percent, a figure supported by Poland, Estonia and Lithuania. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said the new goal will be “north of 3 percent.”
Tajani has already spoken to new U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. They discussed Ukraine, with Tajani saying Rubio insisted the U.S. "won't give up on Ukraine.” Tajani also said the U.S. "must be present in Africa, in the Mediterranean."
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