NATO chief demands allies present credible plans to reach defense spending targets
Rutte said NATO has already seen $258 billion in extra investment and urged allies to submit credible plans for the new spending target.
- On Monday, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte demanded that allies put forward "clear, concrete and credible plans" to reach defense spending targets at the annual summit in Ankara, Turkey.
- Last year, NATO nations agreed to increase overall defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, with 3.5% for core investments and 1.5% for security-related items, though some countries still struggle with the old 2% target.
- U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker warned last week that President Donald Trump expects allies to move toward 5% spending with urgency as the United States scales down its European security role.
- Rutte announced that NATO countries will unveil "tens of billions of dollars in new contracts" at a forum with the defense industry on Tuesday, with NATO estimating $258 billion in combined investment for 2025 and 2026.
- Amid tensions regarding the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, Trump has demanded "loyalty" from allies. Rutte warned that if any members remain unconvinced about spending plans, "we have ways to do that.
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Slovenia will be the only NATO member to spend less than two percent of its gross domestic product on basic defense needs this year, according to published estimates by the alliance. "It is not only the country's credibility in the alliance that is at risk, but above all our own security," wrote Prime Minister Janez Janša, who is attending the NATO summit in Ankara.
According to NATO's data on projected defense spending by member countries for 2026, expenditures are expected to reach $1,809,915,000,000.
Five NATO member states are expected to meet the alliance's new defense spending target of 3.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year, Reuters reported, citing updated figures released Tuesday ahead of the alliance's summit in Ankara. The Czech Republic is expected to meet its original target of 2.01 percent of GDP.
Tagesschau
epochtimes.deAhead of the summit, NATO chief Rutte called for even greater commitment from the defense industry. He expressed concern regarding Russia. According to Chancellor Merz, however, the summit could mark a turning point in the Ukraine war.
Five NATO members seen to spend over 3.5% of GDP on core defence this year, alliance estimates show
ANKARA, July 7 (Reuters) - Five NATO members are projected to meet the alliance's goal of spending 3.5% of gross domestic product on core defence already in 2026, according to updated NATO data published on Tuesday ahead of a leaders' summit in Ankara, which also showed some members are still expected to spend only about 2%.At a summit in The Hague last year, NATO leaders pledged to spend 3.5% of GDP on core defence items such as weapons and tro…
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