NATO has agreed on its largest rearmament programme since the end of the Cold War, according to the German news agency DPA following a meeting of the Alliance’s defence ministers.
Each Member State is tasked with committing to specific investments to meet NATO’s needs.
The organisation’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, highlighted that air defence, long-range weapons, and logistics are among the priorities.
"There has been a total commitment by the US to NATO, but also this expectation that European and Canadian Allies will step up spending. And I'm pretty confident we will get there at the summit."
Driven by the United States, NATO’s 32 Member States are being urged by Rutte to allocate 5% of their GDP to defence investments.
To ensure the success of the summit in The Hague, Secretary General Mark Rutte proposed a combined spending target of 5%.
This includes raising military expenditure to 3.5% of GDP by 2032 and allocating 1.5% of GDP to broader security concerns, such as border protection, military mobility, and cybersecurity.
The US Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, had expressed confidence on Thursday morning that consensus would be reached on this issue, either during the meeting or at the summit in The Hague on 24 and 25 June.
"Our message remains clear: deterrence and peace through strength, without dependence. We cannot and will not depend on America in a world full of threats," Hegseth asserted.
Hegseth emphasised President Donald Trump’s desire for each NATO member to dedicate at least 5% of their GDP to defence. "Considering today’s global threats, a 5% commitment is essential," he stated.
