NATO members plan on delaying spending hike
(MENAFN)
NATO members have agreed to delay raising defense spending targets after Spain refused to support the proposed increase, Reuters reported on Monday.
NATO members have agreed to delay raising defense spending targets after Spain refused to support the proposed increase, Reuters reported on Monday.
Secretary General Mark Rutte had aimed to secure an agreement this week to raise the alliance’s defense spending goal from 2% to 3.5% of GDP, with an additional 1.5% directed toward broader security initiatives such as infrastructure improvements for troop mobility. However, due to Spain’s resistance, the draft declaration has been adjusted.
Sources told Reuters that the timeline for meeting the new targets was extended from 2032 to 2035, and the wording was softened from “we commit” to “allies commit” to reflect the lack of unanimous support. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez publicly stated that Spain would not adopt the new goals, announcing instead that the country would increase military spending to 2.1% of GDP and no more.
“We respect other countries’ decisions to boost their defense budgets, but we won’t go beyond our own commitment,” Sanchez said in a televised address, reportedly delivered after finalizing changes to the NATO declaration.
President Donald Trump criticized Spain for historically falling short of NATO's current 2% target and argued that the U.S. should not be expected to reach a proposed 5% defense spending level due to its already high military expenditures.
Meanwhile, Politico reported that the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague would feature a reduced agenda, with less emphasis on Ukraine. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky was only invited to a welcome dinner, which he may choose not to attend.
On Saturday, Zelensky urged Western nations to contribute 0.25% of their GDP to support Ukraine’s defense industry.
Trump recently left the G7 summit in Canada early, skipping a session that included Zelensky. The summit concluded without a joint statement on the Ukraine conflict.
NATO insists its push for increased defense spending is a response to threats from Russia—a claim that Moscow has dismissed as a scare tactic meant to distract from the negative effects of rising military budgets on domestic living standards.
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