US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker on Tuesday called on US allies to invest more in the defence industry, reiterating the US commitment to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP).
"We are ramping up our production and encouraging our partners to do the same," Whitaker told reporters, emphasizing that more investment is needed for an army that can respond to all threats and challenges.
Whitaker spoke to reporters ahead of an informal meeting of the North Atlantic Council (NAC) at the level of foreign ministers, which will be held on May 14 and 15 in Antalya, Turkey.
The meeting is expected to discuss the Alliance's security priorities, including increased Allied defense investments and ending the Russia-Ukraine war.
US President Donald Trump has suggested that US allies agree to a new spending target of five percent of GDP at a summit to be held in The Hague in June, a level that no member of the alliance currently reaches.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has proposed a compromise deal that would commit countries to direct military spending of 3,5 percent by 2032, as well as an additional 1,5 percent for broader security spending.
Whitaker said that NATO's new spending plan, which will be presented at the alliance's summit in The Hague next month, should cover broader areas related to defense.
"This new investment commitment or plan will include all the objectives that allies need for deterrence and defense, but also things like mobility, infrastructure, cybersecurity," Whitaker said, emphasizing that it is more than just missiles, tanks and howitzers.
During an online meeting with journalists, he also said that the fighting and suffering in Ukraine, brought about by Russia's three-year invasion of the country, must end.
For this, he said, it is necessary for "both sides to participate in negotiations" that will bring peace to that part of Europe.
"This is only possible if both sides negotiate a peace agreement, because thousands of people are dying on the battlefield. Everything is on the table and in the end no one will be happy, but we all agree that peace is better than war," Whitaker said, speaking at an online meeting with reporters.
He stressed that Trump is committed to ending the war in Ukraine and achieving sustainable peace, and, in that context, he assessed that the upcoming peace talks scheduled for May 15 in Istanbul are one of the most encouraging things since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
As a nominee of US President Donald Trump, Whitaker officially assumed the position of US Ambassador to NATO in early April.
Trump described him as a "loyal patriot" who will protect American interests and strengthen relations with NATO allies.
A lawyer with little foreign policy experience, he worked at the Justice Department during Trump's first term, including three months from late 2018 to early 2019 as acting attorney general.
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