NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced on Monday that alliance members are poised to significantly increase defence spending, calling it a “quantum leap” to counter the threat posed by Russia.
The 32 member nations are expected to commit to boosting defence expenditure to five per cent of their gross domestic product (GDP), a key demand from US President Donald Trump, who has long argued that the United States bears a disproportionate share of NATO’s costs.
NATO members have reached a compromise agreement to allocate at least 3.5 per cent of GDP to core military needs by 2035, with an additional 1.5 per cent designated for broader security-related areas such as cybersecurity and infrastructure.
“The defence investment plan that allies will agree on in The Hague introduces a new baseline, five per cent of GDP to be invested in defence,” Rutte told reporters, emphasising its ambition, historical significance, and fundamental importance for future security.
The summit’s primary focus in The Hague will be on appeasing Trump, whose return to power has sparked fears of potential disruptions to the seven-decade-old alliance.
Despite earlier concerns raised by Spain’s reluctance to commit to the five per cent figure, Rutte affirmed that no country would be granted an “opt-out,” stating that “NATO does not have as an alliance opt-outs, side deals, etcetera, because we all have to chip in.”
The NATO chief added that this increased spending would lead to a five-fold boost in the alliance’s air defences and significantly expand its arsenals with thousands more tanks and armoured vehicles.
He reiterated that the “most significant and direct threat facing this alliance remains the Russian Federation.”
Rutte also insisted that the summit would convey strong support for Ukraine, even as Trump has altered the West’s stance towards Russia’s war on Kyiv.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is expected to attend a state dinner with the Dutch king, though he has largely been excluded from the summit’s main proceedings.
Rutte noted that Europe is already stepping up to compensate for Washington’s reduced support for Ukraine, highlighting that Europe and Canada have collectively pledged 35 billion euros ($40 billion) in aid to Kyiv this year.
Addressing concerns that the recent conflict between Israel and Iran might divert attention from the summit, Rutte stressed the imperative of preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
He articulated his “greatest fear” as Iran gaining access to a nuclear bomb, which he believes would give it a “stranglehold” over Israel, the region, and the wider world.
Over the weekend, Trump had claimed that US warplanes used “bunker buster” bombs to “obliterate” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, though other officials stated it was too early to assess the true impact.
When questioned about the legality of Washington’s strikes against Iran, the NATO chief responded, “I would not agree that this is against international law, what the US did.”
