Overview

• NATO allies committed to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, allocating 3.5% for core military needs and 1.5% for related security measures.
• President Trump, after expressing uncertainty over multiple definitions of Article 5, formally endorsed the alliance’s mutual defense pledge in the summit’s final communiqué.
• The closing statement reiterated that an attack on one member is an attack on all and cited Russia as a long-term threat to Euro-Atlantic security.
• A midterm review of member spending is slated for 2029 to assess compliance and inform future investment strategies.
• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met privately with Trump to discuss additional U.S. arms supplies and tougher sanctions on Russia, though Ukraine’s NATO membership bid was omitted from official talks.