Trump Urges Africa to Boost Spending on U.S. Arms
(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump has called on African heads of state to increase their defense budgets and purchase more American-made weapons, asserting they are “the best military equipment anywhere in the world by far.”
His comments were delivered during a gathering at the White House on Wednesday, where he met with the presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania, and Guinea-Bissau.
Trump pointed to recent American military actions in Iran as evidence of the superior performance of U.S.-produced arms.
“We encourage the countries here today to make greater investments in defense, hopefully, of course buying our equipment, because we do make the best defense equipment,” the U.S. leader said.
These remarks come amid a shifting geopolitical landscape in Africa, where some countries are gradually distancing themselves from long-time Western allies and aligning more closely with Russia for military support.
One notable example is Niger, which ended its defense pact with Washington following the July 2023 coup.
This move led to the withdrawal of American troops and the shutdown of a USD100 million drone installation.
Subsequently, Russian personnel and military gear were brought in, as officials in Niamey criticized the U.S. for not fulfilling commitments to assist in combating the persistent jihadist threats in the Sahel region, according to a news agency.
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