PICTURE: REUTERS
THE HAGUE: NATO leaders on Wednesday backed the big increase in defence spending that U.S. President Donald Trump had demanded, and restated their commitment to defend each other from attack after a brief summit in the Netherlands.
While Trump got what he wanted at the annual meeting, tailor-made for him, his NATO allies will be relieved that he committed to the fundamental principle of collective defence after less clear-cut language on Tuesday.
The 32-nation alliance responded to Trump’s call for other countries to increase their defense spending and reduce NATO’s reliance on the US.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged that European countries and Canada struggle to find the extra money but stressed that they must do so.
“My colleagues at the table and I are absolutely convinced that, given the threat from Russia and the international security situation, we have no alternative,” said the former Dutch prime minister, speaking to reporters in his hometown of The Hague.
NATO set a new spending target to reach over the next 10 years — a significant increase worth hundreds of billions of dollars more each year than the current 2% of GDP goal, though it uses a different measurement.
Under the new target, countries will spend 3.5% of GDP on core defense — including troops and weapons — and 1.5% on broader defense-related measures, such as cyber security, protecting pipelines, and upgrading infrastructure like roads and bridges for military use.
All NATO members endorsed the statement formalizing the target, although Spain announced it would not meet the goal and claimed it could fulfill its commitments with much lower spending.
Rutte disagreed but accepted a diplomatic compromise with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to help Trump secure a symbolic victory and ensure a smooth summit.
On Wednesday, Spain stated that it does not expect its position to cause any consequences.
