Slovenian lawmaker questions idea of upping defense spending to please Trump

BELGRADE, July 2. /TASS/. Slovenia’s authorities need to decide whether to increase defense spending to please US President Donald Trump or allocate funds for domestic development, Martin Premk, a member of the Slovenian lower house of parliament representing the Freedom Movement, the largest opposition faction.

"In June 2025, the previous government adopted a resolution on the development of the Slovenian Armed Forces through 2040, committing not to increase defense spending beyond three percent of GDP by then. Will we stick to that commitment, or will we continue to raise spending, neglecting our defense capabilities and infrastructure projects but spending money only on weapons, just to satisfy the interests of the person whom NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte calls ‘daddy’?" the party's press service quoted the lawmaker as saying.

Premk emphasized that Slovenia could either "continue investing in projects that benefit the people" or "simply listen to what ‘daddy’ says and purchase only American weapons."

Earlier, Slovenian Defense Minister Valentin Hajdinjak stated that the country was ready to meet its NATO commitment to raise defense spending to two percent of GDP by the end of the year. In May, Rutte criticized the previous Slovenian cabinet, led by Freedom Movement Chairman Robert Golob, for providing inaccurate data on defense spending, which also covered projects that don’t fall within the bloc’s definition of basic defense expenditures.