NATO allies are rallying behind a dramatic increase in defense spending — boosting targets from 2% to 5% of GDP — a shift former U.S. ambassador to NATO and special envoy to Ukraine Kurt Volker attributes to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine and renewed U.S. pressure under President Donald Trump.

Volker told Newsmax on Tuesday that NATO’s new consensus on raising defense spending targets to 5% of GDP marks a major shift driven by the war in Ukraine and mounting concern over Russia’s ambitions.

Appearing on “The Record With Greta Van Susteren,” Volker pointed to two key reasons for the historic shift: Russia’s war of aggression in Europe and President Donald Trump’s insistence that European allies increase their defense contributions.

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