NATO to discuss increasing defense spending to 3.5% of GDP – Rutte
Photo: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Getty Images)
The future quota for defense spending of NATO countries will be well over 2% of GDP. The decision on the amount will come in the next months, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, reports Welt.
The Alliance will decide on the exact details of the assessment (percentage of GDP contribution to defense) in the coming months, given the next NATO summit in The Hague in June.
“But I can assure you of one thing: it will be much, much, much more than 2%,” he said.
According to the media, diplomats expect fierce negotiations at the summit on a higher target - initially 3 or 3.5%. So, Rutte called on the allies to show greater solidarity.
“NATO must stand together as an Alliance. But the burden should be fairly shared between Europe, Canada, and the United States. So that the Americans do not pay too much and we do not pay too little,” the Secretary General said.
Dispute over defense spending in NATO
US President Donald Trump has threatened European countries with the termination of the NATO mutual assistance pact if they do not invest enough in their defense.
He is calling on NATO allies to increase defense spending and demanding that each NATO member state spend 5% of its GDP. Currently, each NATO country has to spend 2% of its GDP on defense. Germany almost never fulfills the quota, and seven EU countries do not reach it, including Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Belgium.
This discussion has been going on for a long time. During the talks about the candidate for NATO Secretary General, some American lawmakers strongly opposed Rutte because the Netherlands consistently failed to meet the NATO defense spending target of 2% of GDP.
