NATO leaders agreed on Wednesday on a massive hike in defence spending after pressure from US President Donald Trump, and expressed their “ironclad commitment” to come to each other’s aid if attacked.
The 32 leaders endorsed a final summit statement saying: “Allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations.”
Spain had already officially announced that it cannot meet the target, and others have voiced reservations, but the investment pledge includes a review of spending in 2029 to monitor progress and reassess the security threat posed by Russia, reports AP.
The leaders also underlined their “ironclad commitment” to NATO’s collective security guarantee – “that an attack on one is an attack on all.” Ahead of the summit, Trump had again raised doubts over whether the United States would defend its allies.
The show of unity vindicated NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s billing of the summit as “transformational,” even though it papered over divisions. The spending pledge sets European allies and Canada on a steep path toward significant military investment.
The spending hike requires each country to spend billions of dollars. It comes as the United States — NATO’s biggest-spending member — shifts its attention away from Europe to focus on security priorities elsewhere, notably in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific.
But ahead of the meeting, Spain announced that it would not be able to reach the target by the new 2035 deadline, calling it “unreasonable”. Belgium signalled that it would not get there either, and Slovakia said it reserves the right to decide its own defence spending.
Many European countries face major economic challenges, and Trump’s global tariff war could make it even harder for America’s allies to reach their targets. Some countries are already squeezing welfare and foreign aid spending to channel extra funds into their military budgets.
On Tuesday, Trump complained that “there’s a problem with Spain. Spain is not agreeing, which is very unfair to the rest of them, frankly.” He has also criticised Canada “a low payer.”
In 2018, a NATO summit during Trump’s first term unraveled due to a dispute over defence spending. But Rutte conceded that “these are difficult decisions. Let’s be honest. I mean, politicians have to make choices in scarcity. And this is not easy.” But he said: “given the threat from the Russians, given the international security situation, there is no alternative.”
