NATO summit backs Ukraine support, labels Russia long-term threat, agrees to 5% defense spending

The declaration was adopted at the NATO summit in The Hague.

Defense spending to rise to 5% of GDP

NATO countries approved raising defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035—in response to Trump’s demand and European concerns that Russia poses a growing threat to their security after the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

“We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defense as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty – that an attack on one is an attack on all,” the statement says.

At a press conference after the meeting, broadcast by Espreso, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called this decision a “quantum leap” for NATO countries.

Spending will rise by hundreds of billions

In response to Donald Trump’s call, the 32 member countries of the alliance agreed to increase defense spending to reduce NATO’s dependence on the United States.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged that it will not be easy for European countries and Canada to find additional funds, but emphasized that it is vitally necessary.

The new spending target—which is to be reached over the next decade—means an increase in defense budgets by hundreds of billions of dollars annually, compared to the current goal of 2% of GDP. At the same time, the approach to calculation will be different, Reuters notes.

Countries will spend 3.5% of GDP on core defense needs—such as personnel and weaponry—and another 1.5% on broader security measures, including cyber defense, pipeline protection, and adapting roads and bridges for heavy military equipment.

However, Spain stated that it is not obliged to meet this target and can fulfill its commitments by spending significantly less.

Russia as long-term threat and support for Ukraine

The document summarizing the meeting of the North Atlantic Council in The Hague also states that Russia has become the only country to receive the status of a “long-term threat.”

The allies reaffirmed their unchanged "commitments to provide support to Ukraine, whose security contributes to ours, and, to this end, will include direct contributions towards Ukraine’s defense and its defense industry when calculating Allies’ defense spending".

• Earlier, media reported that NATO countries had reached an agreement to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP. At the same time, Spain agreed with NATO that it would not join this requirement.