Historic NATO Summit: Allies Pledge Billions More as Trump Demands Met

In a pivotal gathering today in The Hague, NATO leaders have officially committed to a significant increase in defense spending, largely delivering on a long-standing demand from President Donald Trump. The alliance endorsed an ambitious new target: 5% of GDP dedicated to defense by 2035, a substantial leap from the current 2% goal.

Crucially, the 32 allied nations also reaffirmed their “ironclad commitment” to Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, the fundamental principle of collective defense. President Trump, whose previous remarks had sometimes cast doubt on his adherence to this clause, explicitly stated, “I stand with it. That’s why I’m here.” His presence and the summit’s brief, focused agenda were reportedly tailored to ensure a diplomatic victory for the U.S. President.

The new spending target, which will funnel hundreds of billions of dollars more annually into defense, breaks down into 3.5% of GDP for core military expenditures like troops and weaponry, and 1.5% for broader defense-related measures, including cybersecurity and infrastructure adaptation for military use. This strategic shift is a direct response not only to Trump’s persistent calls for greater burden-sharing but also to escalating European concerns over Russia’s growing threat following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Despite the overall appearance of unity, moments of friction emerged. French President Emmanuel Macron sharply criticized the U.S.’s threatened import tariffs, arguing they could undermine efforts to boost defense spending. “You cannot come to us as allies and ask that we spend more, tell us we will spend more at NATO – and do a trade war. It’s an aberration,” Macron told reporters.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, hosting the summit in his home city, expressed confidence that the alliance would emerge “stronger, fairer and more lethal.” He acknowledged the financial challenges for member states but stressed the “absolute conviction” among leaders that increased spending is vital given the current international security landscape and the threat from Russia.

While the new spending target received broad backing, Spain notably declared it would not need to meet the 5% goal, a stance diplomatically managed by Rutte to ensure the summit’s smooth progression. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attended a pre-summit dinner and met with Trump separately, though he did not participate in the main meeting. Meanwhile, the Kremlin on Wednesday accused NATO of “rampant militarization,” portraying Russia as a “fiend of hell” to justify its defense spending increases.

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