Rutte Demands Clear Plans from NATO Allies to Meet New Defence Spending Targets
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has urged Allied nations to present credible plans for meeting the Alliance's new 5% of GDP defence spending target, as members face growing pressure from the United States to assume greater responsibility for European security.
\ Last year, NATO member states agreed to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP, with 3.5% allocated directly to defence and an additional 1.5% invested in critical infrastructure needed to ensure the rapid movement of troops and military equipment.
At the same time, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on Allied nations to present clear, concrete and credible plans for reaching the new 5% GDP defence spending target. He made the remarks ahead of the Alliance's annual summit in Ankara, which comes amid the gradual reduction of the United States' security role in Europe. Meanwhile, some countries, including Spain, argue they can meet NATO's capability requirements without spending 5% of GDP, while several Allies have yet to achieve the Alliance's previous benchmark of 2%.
Rutte stressed that all member states must present convincing plans for implementing the new commitments. Asked about the consequences for countries that fail to do so, he said NATO has ways to persuade those that remain unconvinced, but declined to elaborate.
The administration of US President Donald Trump continues to press Allied governments to increase defence spending more rapidly. US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said Washington expects all Allies to move immediately towards the 5% target. According to him, the new approach, known as "NATO 3.0", envisages European countries assuming greater responsibility for their own defence, allowing the United States to focus on other strategic priorities.
Despite ongoing disagreements, Rutte highlighted the positive trend in defence investment. NATO estimates that European Allies and Canada will spend around $258 billion more on defence in 2025 than in previous years.
The summit is also taking place against growing concerns among European governments over the possibility of Russian hybrid attacks as Moscow continues its war against Ukraine. During the meeting, NATO is expected to unveil several major defence initiatives, including a programme to replace its ageing fleet of AWACS airborne early warning and surveillance aircraft.
The European Stability Mechanism has also warned that the large-scale increase in defence spending will become one of the key fiscal challenges facing European countries. Experts say meeting the new targets will require either higher public borrowing, increased taxation or the reallocation of resources from other areas of government spending.
Source: The Associated Press