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.”
President Ilham Aliyev met President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Monday, where the two leaders reaf...
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet in Istanbul on Friday for renewed discussions on Iran’s nu...
Limited crossings took place at Rafah on Monday, as patients and families moved through the gates for the first time in months. Photographers captured...
Yanis Varoufakis delivered a blunt assessment: the European Union has missed every major chance to reform, poisoned its own democratic debate and is n...
Web Summit Qatar 2026 opened in Doha on Sunday, drawing tens of thousands of founders, investors, policymakers and technology leaders to what organise...
President Ilham Aliyev met President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Monday, where the two leaders reaffirmed that Azerbaijan–UAE ties are built on a strategic partnership.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi are expected to meet in Istanbul on Friday for renewed discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme, according to reporting by Axios.
Limited crossings took place at Rafah on Monday, as patients and families moved through the gates for the first time in months. Photographers captured the tension, relief, and emotional toll of separation at a crossing long marked by both isolation and hope.
Web Summit Qatar 2026 opened in Doha on Sunday, drawing tens of thousands of founders, investors, policymakers and technology leaders to what organisers describe as one of the region’s largest digital economy gatherings.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has begun negotiations with European leaders over Greenland and that an agreement is already taking shape.
The United States accused Cuba of interfering with the work of its top diplomat in Havana on Sunday (1 February) after small groups of Cubans jeered at him during meetings with residents and church representatives.
Dmitry Medvedev, said European countries have failed to defeat Russia in Ukraine and have instead inflicted serious economic damage on themselves, as he criticised EU policy, praised Donald Trump as a leader who seeks peace, and said Russia would “soon” achieve military victory in the war.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned that any U.S. military attack on Iran would spark a wider regional conflict, Iranian semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.
U.S. president Donald Trump said Iran is “seriously talking” with the United States and expressed hope that negotiations could lead to an outcome acceptable to Washington.
Yanis Varoufakis delivered a blunt assessment: the European Union has missed every major chance to reform, poisoned its own democratic debate and is now entering a prolonged period of structural decline.
The Kremlin has confirmed that the next round of trilateral talks between Ukraine, Russia and the United States will be held in Abu Dhabi on 4–5 February, after the meeting was postponed last week to align the schedules of all delegations.
Hungary has vowed legal action against the European Union over a planned ban on Russian gas imports by 2027, after Brussels said national objections would not override EU law.
Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of authorising intelligence operations aimed at eliminating “undesirable leaders” in Africa, claiming that Paris is pursuing a political comeback after losing ground in several former colonies.
Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar are trying to organise a meeting in Ankara between White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and top Iranian officials, according to reports in the U.S. and Turkish media.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment