All NATO members are expected to meet the longstanding target of spending 2% of GDP on defence this year, but only three currently reach a new, higher target set by alliance leaders in June, according to NATO data released Thursday.
Military spending across NATO has risen sharply in recent years, spurred by Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine and calls from U.S. leaders for European allies to invest more in their own defence. Last year, more than 10 of NATO’s 32 members fell short of the 2% goal agreed in 2014.
Figures for 2025 show all allies meeting the target, with seven just at the 2% minimum and several slightly above. Poland leads in defence spending as a share of GDP at 4.48%, followed by Lithuania at 4% and Latvia at 3.73%. These three countries are currently the only NATO members exceeding the new 3.5% target agreed at the June summit in The Hague.
The new goal is part of a broader plan to reach 5% of GDP on defence and security-related investments by 2035, covering areas such as cybersecurity and infrastructure upgrades for military logistics.
Speaking at the opening of a Rheinmetall ammunition factory in Unterluess, Germany, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the increased spending but stressed that funding alone does not guarantee security.
“Cash alone doesn’t provide security,” he said. “Deterrence doesn’t come from 5%. Deterrence comes from the capability to fight potential enemies.”
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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reshuffled his cabinet on Friday (3 April) in a bid to contain a growing scandal over the alleged fraudulent use of European Union farm subsidies.
One crew member from a U.S. warplane shot down over Iran has been rescued, U.S. officials said, as a search continues for a second crew member.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says it has sent a mid-level delegation to China for formal talks with Pakistan, as both sides meet in Urumqi amid efforts by Beijing to ease tensions between the neighbours.
Iran has strongly condemned U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb the country “back to the Stone Age”, calling his remarks an example of “war crimes and genocide.”
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
Four astronauts blasted off from Florida on Wednesday on NASA's Artemis II mission, a high-stakes voyage around the moon that marks the United States' boldest step yet toward returning humans to the lunar surface later this decade in a race with China.
An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck in Indonesia's Northern Molucca Sea on Thursday, killing one person, damaging some buildings and triggering tsunami waves, authorities and witnesses said.
President Donald Trump staunchly defended his handling of the month-old U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in a prime-time address on Wednesday, saying the U.S. military was nearing completion of its mission while also reinforcing his threats to bomb the Islamic Republic back to the Stone Age.
One U.S. crew member has been rescued after Iran downed a warplane, while the search continues for a second. At the same time, Iran has officially told mediators it will not meet U.S. officials in Islamabad in the coming days, calling U.S. demands unacceptable, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis reshuffled his cabinet on Friday (3 April) in a bid to contain a growing scandal over the alleged fraudulent use of European Union farm subsidies.
One crew member from a U.S. warplane shot down over Iran has been rescued, U.S. officials said, as a search continues for a second crew member.
Across China, people are taking part in a wide range of activities to honour fallen heroes ahead of the Qingming Festival, a traditional time for remembrance and paying respect to the deceased.
France and South Korea have agreed to strengthen defence ties and energy security cooperation following a two-day visit by French President Emmanuel Macron to Seoul.
In a highly unusual move highlighting shifting narcotics diplomacy, the U.S. has handed over a Chinese fugitive accused of serious drug crimes to authorities in Beijing.
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