5 months Ago
Member states will have until 2035 to hit the 3.5% for the military, with a review in 2029. Mark Rutte, the NATO secretary-general, called it a “quantum leap in our collective defense” in what was an early 'win' for the former, and new Dutch prime minister’s arrival at his first NATO summit in the role in a positive launch with journalists in Brussels.
Balancing Pressure and Partnership
The agreement is considered a diplomatic victory for Rutte by balancing pressure from US President Donald Trump and reluctance from European countries. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who first resisted the 5% threshold, eventually agreed to increase military spending to 2.1% using other measures toward the overall benchmark.
Trump, who has previously cast doubt on US commitment to Article 5, repeated his insistence for European members to spend more. “We’ve stepped up since I’ve been president, I raised $700 billion over these last couple of years,” Trump said.
At the summit he was given an extremely friendly reception, even being personally congratulated by Rutte, who wrote: “YOU did it, YES!번 Of course, Europe is going to PAY in a BIG way… Guess who is the winner?
Rutte conceded that the tone of his messages might be “a matter of taste,” but said the numbers spoke for themselves. “Do you believe this would not have happened had he not been re-elected?” he asked.
Ukraine, Russia, and NATO’s Future
In addition to the financing package, the alliance reiterated its staunch support for Ukraine and said the country’s path toward NATO membership was “irreversible.” The EU has already pledged €35 billion to aid Ukraine this year.
“This is all to ensure that Ukraine can fight today to have peace later,” said Rutte. The alliance also described Russia as a “long-term threat,” a significant declaration reflecting NATO’s change in posture.
The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, was included in a more muted role at the summit — he was participating in a dinner with NATO leaders hosted by King Willem-Alexander and delivering an address to Dutch legislators.
The Dutch PM Dick Schoof said the summit was a breakthrough. "We have made several big decisions today," he said, pointing to increasingly close work between governments and defense industries.
“These decisions will make NATO stronger, fairer, and more lethal — it is a significant achievement, that will lead to additional increases in defense spending,” Rutte concluded, “a real step forward for our shared security.”
