Overview

• Allies agreed to allocate 3.5% of GDP to core military capabilities and 1.5% to broader security measures such as cyber, infrastructure and intelligence by 2035.
• Summit sessions were deliberately shortened and the final communique narrowly focused on spending to secure President Trump’s endorsement, drawing public praise from Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
• Trump’s transit comments had cast doubt on Article 5, but the summit’s closing declaration restated an “ironclad commitment” to collective defense.
• Spain won an exemption from the 5% target, and Hungary’s Viktor Orban dismissed the likelihood of a Russian attack on NATO territory.
• Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy was relegated to side meetings to avoid a direct clash with Trump, and leaders set a 2029 midterm review to assess spending progress.