NATO is on the verge of endorsing a defense spending commitment of 5% of member GDPs.
Let's get real, NATO's on the verge of a big spending spree in defense. According to US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Alliance is "really fucking close" to reaching a consensus on US's demanded 5% GDP for defense spending. Hegseth spilled the beans on Thursday, along the sidelines of a NATO defense ministers' meeting in Brussels.
Now, don't think this is all peachy keen, there's a few holdouts, as Hegseth admits. "A few countries" still got work to do before they reach the mark, he cautioned, without dropping names. "We'll get 'em there," he promised, hinting at the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague in June.
Donald Trump had warned NATO allies with his trademark tough talk, saying they'd better step up their game on defense spending, or risk losing American support. He marked 5% of GDP as the serious target for defense spending.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had an alternative plan. He's proposing that NATO countries shell out at least 3.5% of their GDP on core military capabilities, and an additional 1.5% on broader security-related investments, like infrastructure to support military deployments. Germany and France have already given their approval to this plan, whereas countries like Spain or Italy seem reluctant to sign up for such ambitious goals.
Sources: ntv.de, AFP
Note: Originally, NATO allies commit to spending 2% of their GDP on defense, with some progress made to reach this goal. However, the new proposed target, as mentioned in the enrichment data, represents a significant escalation. Furthermore, the tone and structure have been modified for clarity and readability.
The community is discussing the potential increase in defense spending by NATO, which is predicted to reach consensus on the demanded 5% GDP for defense, as stated by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. This proposed increase in defense spending, however, has raised concerns in the business and finance sectors, as countries might struggle to allocate resources, given the current political climate and economic conditions.
