NATO members have agreed to boost their defense spending to 5% of their GDP by 2030. This move is seen as a major victory for former US President Donald Trump, who has been pushing for increased spending.
The decision was made at a summit in The Hague, Netherlands, where members agreed to increase their contributions to NATO’s defense budget from 2% to 5% of their GDP.
Trump called the decision a “big win” for Europe and Western civilization.
In a joint statement, NATO members reaffirmed their commitment to the alliance’s collective defense principle, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
However, the statement did not mention Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, unlike previous statements.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said, “No one should doubt our ability or commitment if our security is challenged.”
He added that the alliance is now “stronger, fairer, and more dangerous” than it was before.
Before the summit, Trump had questioned the effectiveness of NATO’s defense guarantees, but after the meeting, he reaffirmed his support for the alliance.
The pledge to increase defense spending over the next decade includes a commitment to spend at least 3.5% of GDP on defense by 2030, with an additional 1.5% for security-related infrastructure. While all NATO members signed the statement, some countries expressed reservations about increasing their defense spending.
Spain’s Economy Minister, Nadia Calviño, said her country would have to make a significant effort to reach the 2.1% target.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo was more cautious, saying it would be challenging to reach the 3.5% target within 10 years, but it was a realistic goal.
Slovakia also expressed concerns about the significant increase in spending, but President Zuzana Čaputová said they would not block the agreement.
Source: BBC