Macron urges Europe to boost defense spending to over 3 percent of GDP – POLITICO

PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron called on Europeans to dramatically increase their yearly defense spending to over 3 percent of GDP on Sunday, after attending an emergency summit on Ukraine in London.

While Baltic nations have long called for military spending to rise to at least 3 percent of GDP and U.S. President Donald Trump has demanded 5 percent, this is the first time the French leader has specified a new number.

"For the past three years, the Russians have been spending 10 percent of their GDP on defense. We need to prepare what comes next, with an objective of 3 to 3.5 percent of GDP," Macron said in an interview with French daily Le Figaro.