Most NATO US allies have approved President Donald Trump’s demand that they are ready to invest 5% of their GDP in defense and increase security spending, Mark Latte, executive director of the alliance, said Thursday.
“There’s a wide range of support,” Latte told reporters after chairing a meeting of NATO Defense Ministers at the alliance’s Brussels headquarters.
“We’re really close,” he said. He added that by the next NATO summit three weeks later, he “has total confidence that we will get there.”
European allies and Canada have already invested heavily in military forces, arms and ammunition since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
At the same time, some have balked the US demand to invest 5% of their GDP in defense. 3.5% of military spending, 1.5% on roads, bridges, airfields and seaports, were needed to deploy the troops more quickly.
I’m struggling to achieve my goal
In 2023, with Russia’s second year of Ukrainian war, NATO leaders agreed to spend at least 2% of their GDP on the defense budget.
So far, 22 of the 32 member states have done so, with others still struggling to achieve their goals.
It appears Trump and his NATO counterparts will likely support the new goal at the Hague summit on June 24-25th.
Trump could argue that America could focus on security priorities elsewhere, claiming that US allies should spend at least 5%.
He gained significant leverage over other NATO countries by questioning whether the US would defend too few allies.
The new targets include a 1.5% increase over the current 2% target in the defense budget. This means that all 32 countries invest the same percentage.
The US spends far more in dollar terms than any other allies.
However, NATO’s latest figures estimated that in 2024 it reduced 3.19% of GDP from 3.68% a decade ago. He has been the only ally of spending since 2014.
The two new figures will be up to 5%, but with the improvements in civilian infrastructure, it will significantly change the basis for NATO calculating traditional defence spending so that the military can deploy more quickly.
The seven-year time frame is also short by the usual standards of the alliance. The much more modest 2% target set after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimea in 2014 was intended to reach it over a decade.
US leadership at NATO
According to US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegses, Trump isn’t just saving NATO.
He told reporters a European allies around the table on Thursday said: “We are hearing your voice. We all need to improve our capabilities. We all thank President Trump for reviving this alliance.
Additionally, the Trump administration announces a reduction in power in Europe, where around 84,000 US troops are based, and additional spending will be required for European allies to close the security gap.
When asked what the Pentagon’s plan was, Hegses refused to explain, but he said: “It would be only a responsibility to continue to evaluate our attitude of power, our attitude of power, that is exactly what we did.”
“America cannot always be anywhere, we should, and there’s a reason why we have the military in certain places,” he said.
During the meeting, Hegseth and his defense counterparts approved purchasing targets to replenish weapons and military equipment to better protect Europe, the Arctic and North Atlantic.
“Capacity Targets” lay out goals for each of the 32 countries to purchase priority equipment such as “strategic enablers” such as air defense systems, long-range missiles, artillery, ammunition, drones, air refueling, heavy air transport, and logistics.
The country’s plans are classified, so details are lacking.
The new goals will be assigned by NATO based on the blueprint agreed in 2023. This is the biggest planned shaking of the alliance since the Cold War, in order to protect its territory from attacks by Russia or another major enemy.
Under these plans, NATO aims to be ready to move up to 300,000 units to the east flank within 30 days, but experts suggest that allies will struggle to gather such figures.
