Paul Kirby
European Digital Editor
John Ty/AFP
The US President (L) has pushed NATO allies to “equalize” their defensive spending for a while
The Hague meeting of NATO leaders agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of the country’s economic output by 2025, following months of pressure from US President Donald Trump.
In a statement, they said they “opposed the serious security threats and challenges, particularly the long-term threats that Russia poses to the euro-Atlantic security and the lasting threat of terrorism.
The Hague Summit has been described as historic by several leaders, and Director General Mark Latte said the decision made Wednesday includes continued support for Ukraine while seeking peace.
The leader also said it is reaffirming its “iron chained commitment to collective defense,” known as mutual security guarantees, if one member is attacked.
The commitment to increasing defence spending over the course of a decade includes at least 3.5% of each member country’s GDP by 2035, plus up to 1.5% in a series of investments roughly related to security infrastructure.
“For too long, our one ally, the United States, had been burdened with too much,” Secretary-General Mark Latte said before the meeting began.
The US President said, “I think it’s a big victory for everyone. We’re going to be equal soon, and that’s how we have to be.”
However, Spain in particular was against the 5% target before the meeting. Economy Minister Carlos Querpo said Madrid is “a great effort” to achieve its 2.1% target. “The discussion about percentages is misguided,” he told Spanish radio.
The Belgian government had also announced its reservation, but Prime Minister Bad de Weber told reporters that “3.5% is a realistic target within 10 years.”
The Hague Summit, hosted by King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima, began with dinner on Tuesday night, and Wednesday’s leader’s set-piece gathering lasted only two and a half hours, and as a short communique agreed,
Latte told NATO leaders that they met at “a dangerous moment” and that guarantees mutual defense of the Defence Alliance – “An attack on everything is all attacks and sends a strong message.”
When leaders gathered for traditional “family photos,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez appeared to support himself at the far end of the group.
Slovakia had also raised concerns about the massive hike of defence spending, but President Peter Pellegrini showed that Bratislava was out of the way.
AFP
The Spanish Prime Minister (right and right in the photo) appeared to be standing himself in the “family photo” of NATO
Trump’s visit to The Hague was his first trip to the NATO summit since 2019, and he was scheduled to meet Ukrainian Volodymea Zelensky on the sidelines afterwards.
However, when he spoke with reporters on Wednesday, the US president was more keen to talk about conflicts in the Middle East than wars in Ukraine.
“He’s having a bit of a challenge, Zelensky, nice guy,” Trump said. “I talked a lot with Putin… he asked Iran for help. I helped us in Russia, not in Iran, and he gave me the benefit.”
In its final communica- tion, NATO members highlighted their commitment to providing support to Ukraine “security contributes to ours,” adding that Kiev’s defense and its direct contribution to the defense industry will be included in the assessment of allied defence spending.
The US President previously appeared to have raised questions about the mutual defense guarantees of the alliance, known as Article 5.
“There are many definitions in Article 5, do you know that?” he told Air Force 1 reporters Tuesday.
Mark Latte later tried to counter concerns about Trump’s comments, and argued that European colleagues were concerned about the US commitment to the Western Alliance and should focus on investing in Ukraine’s defense and support.
British Prime Minister Kielstama said NATO is just as relevant and important as ever. “We live in a very unstable world, and today we are about NATO unity and demonstrate its strength.
