NATO leaders on Wednesday agreed on a massive hike in defense spending after pressure from President Trump, per the AP. The 32 leaders endorsed a final summit statement saying: "Allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defense requirements as well as defense- and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations." The investment pledge includes a review of spending in 2029 to monitor progress and reassess the security threat posed by Russia. The leaders also underlined their "ironclad commitment" to NATO's collective security guarantee—"that an attack on one is an attack on all."
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. Ahead of the meeting, Spain announced that it would not be able to reach the 5% target by the new 2035 deadline, calling it "unreasonable." Belgium signaled that it would not get there either, and Slovakia said it reserves the right to decide its own defense 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.
NATO Secretary-General Mark 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."
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
