NATO leaders on Wednesday (June 25) agreed to increase the defense expenditure and, by 2035, supported a new goal of 5% of GDP, which is largely driven by the requirements of US President Donald Trump and growing fears of Russian military threat.
In a five-point joint statement issued at the Hague 32 Summit, 32 NATO members said: “We reaffirm our IronClad’s commitment to collective defense, as anchored in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty-that is an attack on one is an attack on all.”
The new defense target includes 3.5% for basic defense needs such as staff and weapons, and 1.5% for wider safety, including cybernetics and critical infrastructure protection.
Trump: “I stand with Article 5”
Trump, who has long criticized NATO for relying too much on the US Army, appreciated the expenditure agreement and offered the clarity of his attitude to NATO’s defensive arrest: “I stand with it. That’s why I was here.
Macron warns against a trade war in the middle of defense
Despite the general consensus on expenditure, French President Emmanuel Macron issued a warned warning of Trump over endangered import tariffs and claims that they could undermine the ability of European allies to finance military improvements.
“You can’t come to us as allies and ask us to spend more, tell us to spend more in NATO – and we’ll make a trade war. It’s an aberration,” Macron said.
Rutte: “No alternative due to the Russian threat”
Mark Rutte, a former Dutch Prime Minister and the newly appointed NATO chief, acknowledged a financial tribe that would place new goals on European nations and Canada, but emphasized urgency: “There is no absolute belief with my colleagues at the table that there is no alternative given this threat to the international security situation.”
He added that the Alliance would appear “stronger, fairer and more fatal”.
Spain is pushing back to the target, gets a diplomatic passage
While all NATO countries formally signed up for a new promise, Spain publicly declared that it does not believe that the entire goal of 5%needs to be met. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez claimed that Spain could fulfill his obligations by spending significantly less.
Although Rutte questioned this statement, he accepted the “diplomatic fondant” to keep the summit on the way.
Spain later said that it did not expect any consequences for its attitude.
Green meets Trump but omitted from the main summit
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zlensky, whose country continues to resist Russian aggression, was not invited to the main Wednesday meeting, but attended a preliminary dinner and then organized a separate meeting with Trump.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin condemned NATO announcements and accused the alliance of provoking militarization and depicting Russia as a “devil hell” that justifies a massive increase in defense expenditure.
(Tagstotranslate) NATO defense expenses (T) 5% GDP by 2035
