Donald Trump Wants NATO To Spend More. Europe Pitches Redefining Defense To Get There.

U.S. call to spend 5% of GDP on militaries prompts talk of including more fields linked to modern warfare

- Daniel Michaels & Laurence Norman

NATO's European members, grappling with President Trump's demand that they more than double military spending, are pitching a new approach to hitting the target: change the rules for what counts as military spending.

The issue of "increased Allied defense investment" will be a central focus of talks this week when Secretary of State Marco Rubio meets the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's other foreign ministers at the alliance's headquarters, the State Department said. Military outlays have been a sore point in trans-Atlantic relations since Trump's first term.

Trump has told NATO's other members to lift their defense-spending target from 2% of gross domestic product—their goal since 2014—to 5%.

European members of the 32-country alliance last year focused on 3% of GDP as a new target, and many blanched when Trump mentioned the 5% target after winning re-election.

At a meeting of NATO's governing council last Wednesday, the U.S. prodded other members to agree to 5% of GDP as their new goal, according to people briefed on the conversation. Diplomats say there is already a consensus building among allies to move toward a 3.5% spending target.

Separately, European allies are also discussing broadening what should count under NATO's definition of military spending, which could come on top of the 3.5%.

NATO has strict rules for what counts as military spending, but they could change if members agree to it. Officials are holding informal discussions on expanding the list, diplomats say. A broader list is justified by changes in warfare and increased threats, proponents say.

However, there is wariness among some officials that they not look as if they were trying to artificially meet Trump's target by including marginally relevant or existing expenditures.