The Hague [Netherlands], June 26: US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hailed a decision by NATO allies to spend 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence and related expenditures by 2035 as his personal major success.
"It's a monumental win for the United States because we were carrying much more than our fair share," said Trump after a summit of the alliance in The Hague.
"This is the safety of Europe, the safety of the world," he stated. NATO leaders pledged to more than double military expenditure to finance the Western defence alliance's biggest rearmament programme since the Cold War, amid concerns that Moscow could be ready to attack a NATO country within a few years.
"We must take the threat posed by Russia's militant revisionism seriously and we must remember that we can defend ourselves so that we do not have to defend ourselves," said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz after the summit.
In a declaration adopted at the two-day gathering, allies pledge to "invest 5% of GDP annually on core defence requirements" by 2035, in light of "profound security threats and challenges, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security and the persistent threat of terrorism." Allies will spend 3.5% of GDP annually on core defence requirements, such as weapons and troops, and an additional 1.5% on related expenses, including infrastructure and innovation.
"Allies agree to submit annual plans showing a credible, incremental path to reach this goal," the statement says.
According to the agreement, the "trajectory and balance of spending" is to be reviewed in 2029.
Until now, NATO countries have been obliged to spend at least 2% of their economic output on defence, a goal that all member states are only set to meet this year.
"This is day one. We now shift from agreeing on what we need to rolling up our sleeves and making this new plan a reality," said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The new spending target represents a huge challenge for many of the 32 NATO states, and has not come to pass without opposition.
Spain, one of the biggest laggards when it comes to defence spending, publicly opposed the plans just days before the summit in the Netherlands, saying it had not committed to the new target as it was not compatible with its welfare state system.
But Madrid has since assured Rutte that it can meet new NATO capability targets - meaning Spain's specific defence contributions - by spending less than 3.5% of GDP, in what is believed to be a work-around engineered to ensure the unanimity required for the new spending pledge.
Asked about the Spanish opposition, Trump threatened Madrid with new tariffs over the country's low defence spending.
French President Emmanuel Macron called for an end to the ongoing trade dispute between the US and Europe following NATO's agreement on higher defence spending.
NATO allies also reaffirmed their "ironclad commitment" to Article 5 of the NATO Treaty - which stipulates that an attack on one member shall be treated like an attack against them all - following signs of dwindling US interest in Europe's security.
Allies said they "remain united and steadfast in our resolve to protect our one billion citizens, defend the Alliance, and safeguard our freedom and democracy." The renewed commitment was "a clear sign of strength to all our potential opponents," said Germany's Merz.
And Trump seemed appeased by the new spending pledge, assuaging concerns that the US might not heed Article 5 if NATO allies fail to meet the target.
"I left here differently," he said. "I left here saying that these people really love their countries. It's not a rip-off. And we're here to help them protect their country."
Source: Qatar Tribune
