NATO Summit eyes historic spending pledge

The Hague

NATO leaders convened in the Netherlands on Tuesday for a landmark two-day summit, aiming to unite the 32-member alliance around a new defence spending goal—5% of each nation’s GDP. While several key members have already committed, divisions remain. Spain called the target “unreasonable,” and Slovakia insisted on choosing its own path toward the 2035 deadline.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte stressed the urgency of collective defence amid growing global threats. “We are no longer in the peaceful post-Cold War era. Enemies exist. We must protect our values and way of life,” Rutte said.

The United States, Britain, France, Germany, and host country the Netherlands have backed the new goal. Nations bordering Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus had previously pledged support. U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker hailed the summit as one of the most pivotal in the alliance’s history, forecasting a revival of defence industries.

Though the summit was expected to spotlight President Donald Trump’s role in pushing the spending deal, attention shifted after his airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities and the sudden Iran-Israel ceasefire announcement. Meanwhile, Ukraine, heavily impacted by shifting global focus, remains sidelined. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof but was not invited to the main leaders’ meeting. France and Germany reaffirmed support for Ukraine in a joint op-ed, pledging lasting aid and vowing that Europe would not bow to Russian aggression. “What’s at stake is Europe’s future stability,” they wrote, calling for enduring peace and prosperity for Ukraine.