Trump Now Wants Double From NATO

Bloomberg (07/11/2018)
Trump Urges Doubling Target for Arms Budgets to 4%"President Trump, who spoke, raised the question not just to reach 2%, today, but set a new target - 4%. He just left after he announced that,” Bulgarian president Rumen Radev told reporters, according to BNR public radio.... Two other NATO officials familiar with the discussion confirmed the 4 percent target, while noting it was unclear if this was a formal policy proposal.

This NATO thing is a hell of a lot more complicated then people realize. In July 2016 the White House put out THIS PRESS RELEASE explaining just how complicated the funding of NATO is. In the release it explains it's not just limited to the 2% goal. Up and above each nation helps supply staffing and weaponry to these bases. For example the U.K "makes contributions-in-kind from its national inventory of 6 E-3D AWACS" towards NATO's 16 in total. At a airbase in Hungary United States provides only one of the three C-17 strategic transport aircraft stationed there.

Just being part of NATO doesn't always come cheap. In May 2018 Poland offered the U.S. up to $2B for a permanent military base. Japan is said to have paid around $192 billion in 2017 to host U.S. forces.

If You Want To Be Friends Give Me Money
Could the real reason Trump wants them to jack up their spending is so we can sell them more military equipment? Squeeze protection money under threat we'll pull our soldiers? Sure seems so like Donald to do this to our friends in my opinion.