NATO member states have agreed to raise their defence spending target to 5% of GDP, marking a sharp increase from the previous 2% goal.
The decision was announced on the final day of the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, with U.S. President Donald Trump calling it a “monumental victory.”
The commitment is aimed at strengthening the alliance’s collective defence in response to growing global threats. Trump welcomed the agreement, while also criticizing Spain for saying it would not meet the new target until 2035.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte reassured allies that the U.S. remains “totally committed” to the alliance and its Article 5 mutual defence clause.
Ukraine and Russia still on agenda
While Ukraine received less focus than in previous summits, NATO allies reiterated their “enduring support” for the country. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he had urged Trump to expand sanctions on Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who met President Trump on the sidelines, said they discussed the potential co-production of drones, as well as the purchase of U.S. air defense systems to protect Ukrainian infrastructure and civilians.
Zelenskyy also praised recent U.S. strikes on Iranian military sites, claiming they had weakened Iran’s drone production capacity — drones which have been used in Russian attacks on Ukraine.
In a social media post, Zelenskyy said he provided Trump with updated battlefield information and encouraged European allies to support the purchase of U.S. weapons.
Türkiye confirmed it will host the next NATO Summit in 2026. The defence spending pledge is expected to reshape future alliance planning, procurement, and military readiness. The move also signals a stronger push for burden-sharing among NATO members.
The summit closed with a renewed emphasis on unity and burden-sharing as global tensions rise, particularly with Russia’s continued war in Ukraine, and instability in the Middle East. Secretary-General Mark Rutte underlined that the alliance remains firmly committed to Article 5 and collective defence.
As NATO prepares to mark its 76th year in 2026, the summit set the tone for a more assertive and better-resourced alliance amid growing global uncertainty.
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UN Secretary-General António Guterres delivered a stark warning at this year's COP31 summit, saying the climate crisis iss advancing faster than governments' efforts to contain it.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence and energy high on the agenda. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held talks focused on peace, trade and regional cooperation.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 11 November. Today, we cover Russia-Ukraine peace talks, political tensions in Washington, strikes in Spain, espionage allegations involving Nvidia's CEO, and climate negotiations at COP31 in Türkiye.
Iran will not let a single particle of its enriched nuclear material leave the country, and any new U.S. attack would be met with strikes on distant American bases, Iranian security chief Mohsen Rezaei has said.
Four million workers across Spain joined a general strike on Wednesday over the country’s deepening housing crisis, unions said, bringing disruption to factories, ports, shops and public transport just weeks before a snap general election.
European leaders gathered in Dublin on Thursday, 12 November, for the ninth European Political Community (EPC) summit, with security, defence and energy high on the agenda. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held talks focused on peace, trade and regional cooperation.
Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang is stepping down amid reports linking him to a woman suspected by U.S. authorities of spying for China, throwing the future of the $4 trillion chipmaker into uncertainty.
Tajikistan is urging regional allies to step up support for its border with Afghanistan following a series of deadly armed incidents. Despite building more than 80 new border outposts, Dushanbe says it needs further assistance to secure its southern frontier.
Eight people have been killed and at least 17 injured after an apartment building collapsed into a neighbouring construction site in Brooklyn, New York, as rescuers continued searching the rubble for possible survivors.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for facilitating talks between Russia and Ukraine, but warned that any foreign troops deployed in Ukraine would be considered legitimate targets by Moscow.
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