NATO member states on Wednesday made a historic declaration, pledging to increase overall defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. The decision comes in response to long-standing demands from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to British news agency Reuters.Despite intense criticism, Trump secured the commitment for increased spending during the brief summit, which was largely tailored to his expectations. In return, the U.S. President reaffirmed his support for one of NATO’s fundamental principles — mutual defense.In a joint statement, the 32 NATO member countries declared, “We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to mutual defense based on Article 5 of the Washington Treaty.”Clarifying his position on Article 5, Trump stated, “I stand by it. That’s why I’m here. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.”Following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the resulting rise in security concerns across Europe, European nations themselves have also agreed on the need to increase defense spending, alongside Trump’s demands.Under the new target, 3.5% of the total 5% spending will be allocated to core defense — such as the military, weapons, and equipment. The remaining 1.5% will be spent on cybersecurity, protecting energy pipelines, and developing infrastructure suitable for military mobility.NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said, “Given the Russian threat and the global security situation, there is no alternative to this level of spending.”However, French President Emmanuel Macron voiced concern during the summit about a potential trade war with the United States. He remarked, “You ask us as friends to increase spending, and then impose tariffs to start a trade war — it’s a terrible contradiction.”Spain’s position attracted the most attention. The country declared that it would not meet the 5% GDP spending goal but would instead fulfill its commitments with more modest expenditures.Secretary General Rutte rejected this statement, but eventually reached a diplomatic understanding with Spain’s Prime Minister.Although not officially invited to the core discussions of the NATO summit, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended Tuesday night’s dinner and later held a separate meeting with Trump.On Tuesday, the Kremlin stated that NATO is following a path of military frenzy and is portraying Russia as a “monster from hell” in order to justify increased defense spending.
