Chancellor Olaf Scholz's plan to boost defense spending could remake Germany's beleaguered military into the strongest armed forces in Europe — an idea that has met resistance in the past.
Despite the president's criticism of the alliance, his administration has spent far more on a European defense program than did the Obama White House. U.S. troop levels in Europe have also risen.
The U.S. reportedly is demanding that South Korea pay $5 billion for the coming year. The issue is putting stress not seen in years on the decades-old alliance between the U.S. and South Korea.
The world is spending more on the military since global figures became available in 1988. Together, the U.S. and China make up half of the world's military spending.
President Trump is heading to Brussels for a NATO summit this week. The alliance wants to present a united front, but Trump has complained other members are not spending enough on defense.
President Trump will set out his national security strategy, stressing strong defense, homeland protection and economic prosperity. It could help guide decisions on defense spending and trade talks.
The recent spending compromise may well have just kicked the can down the road until September, when both sides may be spoiling for a fight amid the specter of a government shutdown.
President Trump, who has questioned the relevance of NATO and challenged allies to spend more on their own defense, meets Thursday with the head of the military alliance.
President Trump's budget blueprint calls for a 10 percent increase in military spending, along with deep cuts in foreign aid and the Environmental Protection Agency.
In the first look at his spending plan, the president is proposing boosts for the military and law enforcement — at the expense of other domestic spending. Congress will need to write the final plan.
