France Capitulates to Trump's Demands, Set to Raise Military Expenses to 2%

France will increase the volume of its defense spending to 2 percent of the country's GDP under the forthcoming military reform, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said Tuesday.

PARIS (Sputnik) — Within the framework of France's commitments as a member state of NATO, Paris should spend at least 2 percent of its GDP on defense. At the same time, the majority of European member states, including France, often fail to meet the obligations.

Following the victory of Donald Trump in the US presidential election, the issue of NATO members' defense spending has become even more acute as the US leader has repeatedly called on its allies to increase their defense spending up to the levels required by the Alliance's regulations.

"As follows from the president’s engagement, the law on the military reform will be adopted in 2018. It will bring the military expenses to 2 percent of GDP from today to 2025 and will allow France to fight on all the fronts. There will be other attacks, other drama, other innocent lives taken. We will never get used to it and we will never lower the guards," Philippe said during his address to the National Assembly.

The French prime minister said that Paris would face the existing threats with "calm and firm determination."