Why would you try.

Also, treat hime like he treats you. Just lie to him and never do it. If he ever complains, just say it never happened. Lie to him again to get whatever concessions you want. Repeat.

Treat clowns like clowns.

Nope, because he’ll just move on to the next lame excuse. He’s so ethically challenged that he won’t even stay bought.

They should do it if they think it’s necessary and not just to satisfly trump

Mango Mussolini will never be satisfied.

I think we moved on from trying to satisfy Trump or americans. Actually, a lot of us are tying to disatisfy them.

Can we agree on a reasonable deal?

Sure.

Will it ever satisfy Dingus?

Nope.

I’m going to say no.

Trump won’t settle for anything other than everyone else paying for everything. That’s his MO in everything – from not paying for campaign stops, stiffing contractors, to ever increasing nato targets.

Betteridge’s law of headlines.

It is always a temptation to an armed and agile nation
To call upon a neighbour and to say:–
"We invaded you last night–we are quite prepared to fight,
Unless you pay us cash to go away."

And that is called asking for Dane-geld,
And the people who ask it explain
That you’ve only to pay 'em the Dane-geld
And then you’ll get rid of the Dane!

It is always a temptation for a rich and lazy nation,
To puff and look important and to say:–
"Though we know we should defeat you,
we have not the time to meet you.
We will therefore pay you cash to go away."

And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we’ve proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.

It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
For fear they should succumb and go astray;
So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
You will find it better policy to say:–

"We never pay any-one Dane-geld,
No matter how trifling the cost;
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the nation that plays it is lost!"

- Rudyard Kipling

The target has already been moved from 2% of GDP to 5%. With the expectation that most of that money would be spent on procurement from the US. If we accept the shakedown, why wouldn’t it happen again?

It’s best to presume that anything done won’t satisfy him, but instead to give him just enough that he can claim some sort of victory and walk away from the entire issue. Just flatter him and tell him that the increased NATO spending is all because of him, despite the fact that in reality is has nothing to do with him or even the US.

Then do what’s best for the rest of NATO, presuming that the US won’t be helping, and may even hinder at inopportune times.