NATO Allies Agree 5% GDP Defense Spending Despite Member Reservations

At a NATO summit in The Hague, President Donald Trump was publicly praised by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte for successfully pushing European allies to commit to increasing their defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, a target higher than previous agreements. Trump shared a private message from Rutte, who called the achievement unprecedented for a U.S. president in decades and credited Trump with driving Europe to pay more for its security. While most NATO members agreed to this new spending pledge, some countries like Spain and Slovakia expressed reservations about the feasibility and implementation of the target. Rutte's strategic approach to maintaining U.S. involvement in NATO has included tactful diplomacy and flattery, which Trump appeared to appreciate, posting the message on his social media without additional commentary. Critics and observers have noted that while the commitment marks a significant political moment, the actual attainment of the spending goal remains a decade away and some skepticism exists regarding the sincerity or accuracy of the praise. The summit underscored ongoing tensions within the alliance over burden-sharing, with Trump's insistence on increased European contributions continuing to shape NATO's defense policy discussions.