The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has committed to raising the defence spending of its member states to 5% of GDP over the coming decade, and the body’s leadership has pointedly made the case that this is attributable to US President Donald Trump.
This comes as NATO concludes a summit in The Hague.
Trump called this “very big news” and appeared to evince a renewed commitment to collective defence.
“We’re with them all the way. If you take a look at the numbers, we’re with them,” he was quoted as saying.
This comes after serious consternation on the part of the US’s allies at Trump’s evident scepticism about the utility of the organisation, particularly since many of its members have for decades underinvested in their militaries. Any disengagement from NATO by the US would represent a blow to the security of some of the smaller countries, particularly those feeling vulnerable to aggression from Russia.
Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO, who enjoys a cordial relationship with Trump, sent the US President a message which the latter posted on social media: “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done. Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win.”
In 2024, the US spent 3.4% of its GDP on defence. This level was matched by Estonia and exceeded only by Poland at 4.1%. Latvia and Greece spent more than 3%, while a further 18 countries spent between 2% or more. The remaining eight members spent less than 2%.