There are comprehensive agreements among NATO colleagues to increase their defense spending target to 5% of GDP by 5%.
NATO general secretary Mark Rute said that the Allies were ready to increase the target after the Defense Minister’s meeting in Brussels.
NATO chief Rute says, ‘We are really close’
After presiding over the talks at the headquarters of the coalition, Rute said, “There is widespread support.”
“We are real closer,” said, and said that he is “a total confidence that we will reach there” in the Netherlands in three weeks by the next NATO Summit.
NATO members are currently committed to spending at least 2%of GDP at military expenditure, a target that still does not meet about one third of the alliance, including Portugal (1.49%), Canada (1.37%), Belgium (1.28%).
Last month, Germany accepted in principle, the US demand that members of NATO increase the defense budget by 5% of GDP.
Germany currently spends less than 2% of its GDP on defense.
Rute said that priorities include long distance weapons systems, air defense and spending on mobile land forces.
Russia’s war machine, and its ongoing war in Ukraine, has increased urgency about increasing defense capacity among members of NATO.
US Defense Secretary Vishwas will reach the deal
At the same time, US President Donald Trump has twisted heat on NATO allies to promote spending goals, not to reduce its strategic support in Europe in the US.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that NATO members were close to a deal to spend ahead of the Hague Summit.
After a meeting with NATO counterparts, Hegseth said, “This alliance, we believe, in a few weeks, a hard military will be five percent -3.5% -3.5% and infrastructure and defense -related activities will be 1.5%.”
Spain standing firm on 2% target
Spain must be vocal in its reluctance to spend and by the end of this year, the current target of the two percent coalition of GDP should be only the coach.
Defense Minister Margita Rawobals said, “We think it is sufficient to fulfill 2% that we have done.”
Robbles, however, said Madrid Wilde does not stand in the way of any decision to increase the target at the NATO summit later this month.
Edited by: Wesley Rahan
