Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed confidence on Thursday that NATO allies will agree to President Donald Trump’s call for a sharp increase in defence spending, signalling a potential shift in transatlantic security priorities ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he is “confident” that NATO member states will commit to President Donald Trump’s proposed defence spending target of 5% of GDP, a significant jump from the alliance’s long-standing 2% benchmark.
Speaking in Brussels at a meeting of NATO defence ministers, Hegseth stressed the urgency of the commitment: “To be an alliance, you got to be more than flags. You got to be formations. You need to keep combat-ready capabilities.”
“We’re here to continue the work that President Trump started,” Hegseth said. “It has to happen by the summit at The Hague later this month.”
The upcoming NATO summit, scheduled for June 24–25, is now seen as a defining moment for the alliance’s strategic posture. Trump’s push for 5% spending has stirred debate but also prompted action, with several NATO diplomats acknowledging that European allies are prepared to make concessions to ensure the continued U.S. security commitment to the continent.
“The U.S. needs to see results, and 5% gives Trump a clear win he can show back home,” said one European diplomat.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has already put forward a compromise proposal: 3.5% of GDP for core defence spending, plus an additional 1.5% for broader security-related investment—ranging from cyber defence to critical infrastructure.
“A new defence investment plan will be at the heart of the NATO summit in The Hague,” Rutte told reporters, warning that the alliance must “go further and faster” in meeting modern security challenges.
But disagreement remains, particularly around the timeline and the definition of “security-related” spending.
Germany's Defence Minister Boris Pistorius urged pragmatism, stating, “We have to find a realistic compromise between what is necessary and what is really possible to spend.”
While Rutte has proposed reaching the 5% goal by 2032, some eastern European states—especially those closer to Russia—say that is far too late.
“2032 is definitely too late,” Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said. “We need a 2030 target at the latest.”
Another sticking point is how to define “defence-related” spending. NATO diplomats are now working on crafting a definition that is both “precise enough to cover only real security-related investments” while being “broad enough to allow for national specifics.”
Negotiations over the plan are expected to continue until just before the summit. But Hegseth made clear that Washington expects results—not delays.
“We believe our allies are serious,” he said. “And this is the moment to prove it.”
Yemen's air force carried out 20 strikes on Houthi targets earlier on Friday, Brigadier General Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili, Spokesman for t...
The European Space Agency (ESA), Airbus and European partners have put a six-wheeled Mars rover prototype through its paces in Spain’s Tabern...
Azerbaijan won 22 medals, including seven gold, at the Mingachevir Regatta 2026 as more than 100 young rowers from 12 countries competed in the int...
Yemen's air force carried out 20 strikes on Houthi targets earlier on Friday, Brigadier General Majid Abdullah Al-Nuzaili, Spokesman for the Yemeni Armed Forces, said. Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthis denied targeting a power plant supplying energy to a mosque in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
Passengers from a flydubai flight that was diverted to Saudi Arabia after an alleged attempt to crash the aircraft have arrived safely in Israel.
Azerbaijan and Armenia will sign a final peace agreement once Armenia amends its constitution to remove territorial claims against Azerbaijan, Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev, has said.
Ukraine is working to resolve a diplomatic dispute with South Korea after Kyiv publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Thursday, 1 October.
British counter-terrorism police have arrested a 27-year-old dual UK-Iranian national as part of an investigation into a suspected plot involving RAF Fairford, an airbase used by U.S. forces for operations against Iran.
A retired Australian builder has arrived in Baku in his 1929 Pontiac Roadster during an epic journey from Bangkok to Istanbul, using the nearly century-old car to raise money for Parkinson’s research.
Around 400 schools across France remained closed on Friday as protests over teacher shortages and deteriorating buildings escalated into violence, leaving dozens injured and leading to 2,000 arrests.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Moscow wanted to end the war in Ukraine through negotiations as soon as possible, while insisting that any settlement must meet conditions acceptable to Russia and include security guarantees.
The family of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen fatally shot by an immigration agent in Minneapolis in January, has sued the Trump administration, accusing federal officials of excessive force and unconstitutional conduct.
Ukraine is working to resolve a diplomatic dispute with South Korea after Kyiv publicly disclosed the transfer of two North Korean prisoners of war to Seoul, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said on Thursday, 1 October.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment