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yesterday

NATO Leaders Endorse 5% GDP Defense Target at The Hague Summit

Driven by Trump’s budget demands alongside Rutte’s diplomacy, the decade-long plan allocates 3.5% of GDP to core defense with 1.5% for security investments to bolster deterrence against Russia.

Demonstrators hold signs against a war in Iran, during a march against the upcoming NATO leaders' summit, at The Hague, Netherlands, June 22, 2025. REUTERS/Piroschka van de Wouw
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Overview

  • NATO’s 32 members agreed to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, splitting the increase between core military needs and related security measures.
  • The pledge fulfilled President Trump’s long-standing demand for higher European military contributions, secured through intensive negotiation led by Secretary General Mark Rutte.
  • Spain initially resisted the commitment but ultimately relented after securing assurances against strict opt-outs, highlighting persistent divisions over burden-sharing.
  • The summit was overshadowed by recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and a fragile Israeli-Iran ceasefire that underscored NATO’s broader security challenges.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was confined to peripheral meetings, reflecting the alliance’s cautious stance on his country’s membership bid under President Trump’s administration.