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2h ago

NATO Allies Confront Rift Over 5% GDP Defense Spending at Hague Summit

Spain’s resistance to the U.S.-backed 5% spending pledge has prompted debate over implementation timelines, budget definitions, inclusion of Ukraine support.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez asked NATO chief Mark Rutte Thursday to allow Spain to opt out of the alliance’s defense spending target.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez holds a press conference after a meeting of his Socialist Party, in Madrid, Spain, June 16, 2025. REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File Photo
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Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) speaks with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte during the European Political Community (EPC) summit, in Tirana, Albania on May 16.

Overview

  • NATO plans to formalize a 5% GDP defense investment pledge by 2032, split into 3.5% for core military capabilities and 1.5% for infrastructure and support functions.
  • Spain has rejected the 5% target as unreasonable and refused to commit to a specific GDP-based figure, warning it could veto any unanimous agreement.
  • The United Kingdom is pushing to delay the deadline to 2035 with a review clause in 2029, arguing for a more gradual rise to its own 3% spending goal.
  • Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans says Ukraine aid should count toward core defense outlays and calls for leaders to reaffirm Kyiv’s irreversible path to NATO membership alongside bolstered European and Ukrainian defense industries.
  • Russian President Vladimir Putin has downplayed NATO’s rearmament as non-threatening, even as EU officials stress that Russia’s military budget now exceeds that of all 27 EU states combined.