NATO Nears Allies' Endorsement of Trump 5% Defense Spending Demand

NATO allies are moving toward endorsing President Donald Trump's proposal for member countries to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP, a significant rise from the current 2% target. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte expressed confidence that this new goal, which splits spending into 3.5% for core military capabilities and 1.5% for civilian infrastructure improvements, will be formally adopted at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague. The push for higher spending reflects concerns about Russian aggression and the desire for European allies to shoulder more defense responsibilities, allowing the U.S. to focus on the Indo-Pacific region and domestic security. While 22 of 32 members currently meet the 2% benchmark, some countries continue to struggle with defense spending commitments, and the new target includes a vague allowance for infrastructure costs to ease implementation. Trump has leveraged doubts about U.S. defense guarantees to push allies toward higher contributions, though the timeline for meeting the new target is expected to span approximately ten years with limited enforcement mechanisms. Experts emphasize that beyond meeting numeric goals, NATO members must enhance their self-sufficiency to reduce reliance on the U.S. for continental defense.