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US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegset attends a North Atlantic Ministers meeting during a NATO Defense Ministers at NATO -Kakvatter on June 05, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.
Omar Havana | Getty Images | Gets the image
The highest goal for NATO protection is likely, as the alliance is preparing for its Big Bang Summit in late June.
NATO Defense Ministers are found in Brussels on Thursday, ahead of the greater meeting on June 24-25 to discuss the possibilities of increasing the defense-all: from strengthening air and missile defense to distant weapons and the number of cargo.
But the ghost of the highest protection costs will probably prevail in the meeting on Thursday.
The goal of protecting 5% of individual GDP members will “take place”, – said US Defense Minister Pete Hegset when he arrived at the meeting Thursday, and he repeats US President Donald Trump’s demand for raising a 2% one, which is currently required from the Member States.
“We are here to continue the work started by President Trump, which is a commitment to 5% of defense costs in this alliance, which, in our opinion, will take place,” he told reporters in Brussels.
Hiking now but holds left
Rutte and Trump said NATO should immediately go to a 5%-digit target consisting of 3.5% GDP, which should be spent on “clean” protection and 1.5% GDP that goes to the safety infrastructure, such as cyber-war and intelligence capabilities.
Protection costs for many years have been a thorny NATO item and a sustainable Bugbear for Trump. Some members have significantly exceeded the 2% GDP target, while others have not repeatedly in line with this amount.
The cost of defense rose sharply among NATO members because Trump was the last in power. In 2018, in the midst of annoyance of the White House leader with the block, only six member states reached 2% of the goal, including the United States. By 2024 23 members reached the threshold 2%, According to NATO.
While some have significantly exceeded this goal – such as Poland, Estonia, the USA, Latvia and Greece – large economies, including Canada, Spain and Italy, lagged below the deposit threshold.
No NATO member so far has reached 5% of the expense target Proposed by the Secretary General of Trump or NATO Mark Rute. Some NATO members are likely to drag the heels to get to this milestone.
US Army soldiers take part in NATO “Noble Plan 23” joint military exercises on the Novo SELO military site, north -Western Bulgaria, September 26, 2023.
Nicholas Doykhinov | AFP | Gets the image
The UK, Poland and Germany have already stated that they intend to increase the cost of defense to the necessary goal, but their term is a key issue.
UK government This week said that by 2027 it was aimed at increasing protection costs up to 2.5% And he wants to increase this to 3% of GDP in the next parliament, by 2034. Germany, historically lagging for the cost of defense that reached 2% of the target in 2024, Last week also said it supported 5% hike On the eve of the meeting of Chancellor Friedrich Merz with Trump on Thursday.
Spain and Italy however Only after in 2025 did he have committed to reaching a 2%threshold. Canada, meanwhile, spent 1.3% of GDP defense in 2024, NATO’s estimates are assumedEven less than Italy, Portugal or Montenegro.
They like it or not, military analysts say it is very important that NATO members set and maintain 5%protection costs.
“National governments of Nato-Natoat are those who are not within the Russian Fires of the Fireformers-must-perform the proposed Secretary-General Rutte Rutte, who paid at least 3.5 percent of GDP for defense and another 1.5 percent in defense, like an industrial base, protection of infrastructure and cybersecurity. Democracy, not learning. E -mail comments on Wednesday.
Summit where you can solve the target
According to its supporters, the need to increase the cost of defense, when the alliance responds to the threat of a permanent war in Russia, as well as the need to withstand “malignant actors” such as China, Iran and North Korea seeking to undermine the West.
NATO Secretary -General Mark Rutte said on Thursday that the Allies would decide on the expenses at the June summit, adding during the press conference that “there was a full US commitment to NATO, but this expectation that European and Canadian allies would intensify the costs.
US Secretary of Defense Pitt Hugset (L) speaks during a joint press conference held with NATO Secretary General Mark Rute (R) during a NATO defense ministers on June 5, 2025 in Brussels, Belgium.
Omar Havana | Getty Images | Gets the image
Trump’s ambassador to NATO, Matthew Waiter, also mentioned that in June in the Hague in the Netherlands “it will be a moment to fix these obligations.”
“It won’t just be a pledge. It will be a commitment,” he told reporters on Wednesday, According to Sky News. “Each ally must make obligations to invest at least 5% of GDP in defense and safety since now.”
