World leaders meeting at a NATO summit in the Netherlands have voted to endorse a higher defense spending goal of 5% of GDP.
"Allies commit to invest five percent of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence- and security-related spending by 2035," the alliance`s member states said in a joint statement.
They also stressed their "ironclad commitment" to NATO`s collective security guarantee "that an attack on one is an attack on all."
The approval comes in response to a demand by US President Donald Trump, but also reflects European fears of a growing threat to security from Russia.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters ahead of the vote: "There is absolute conviction with my colleagues at the table that, given this threat from the Russians, given the international security situation, there is no alternative."
However, Spain announced prior to the vote that it wouldn`t be able to reach the target by the new 2035 deadline, Belgium also signaled that it wouldn`t get there before the deadline, and Slovakia said it reserves the right to decide its own defense spending.
NATO allies vow continued support for Ukraine
NATO allies have declared Russia a "long-term threat" to Euro-Atlantic security and pledged continued support for Ukraine in a joint summit statement released Wednesday.
In a declaration adopted in The Hague, the alliance`s 32 member states said they were "united in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security."
"Allies reaffirm their enduring sovereign commitments to provide support to Ukraine, whose security contributes to ours," the statement said.
Rutte says Trump `deserves all the praise`
Asked whether his flattery of the US president was "demeaning," NATO chief Rutte disagreed, calling Donald Trump "a good friend."
"Would you ever think that this would be the result of this summit if he
had not been reelected president?" Rutte responded, pointing to NATO members agreeing to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP after having previously dragged their feet on just reaching the 2% spending goal."And when it comes to Iran, the fact that he took this decisive action, very targeted, to make sure that Iran would not be able to get its hands on a nuclear capability ... I think he deserves all the praise."
Rutte was referring to the US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities over the past weekend. While Trump has claimed success, US intelligence has suggested all it did was delay Iran by a few months.
US President Donald Trump has praised NATO`s agreement to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP as a "monumental" victory for the United States. Speaking after the 32-nation summit, he said the move corrects what he sees as an imbalance in burden-sharing.
"It`s a monumental win for the United States, because we were carrying much more than our fair share," the president told reporters.
On broader foreign policy, Trump said both Israel and Iran are "tired" and "satisfied to go home and get out." However, he warned the conflict between the two could resume — "perhaps soon."
Earlier, during a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on the summit`s sidelines, Trump was asked to clarify his commitment to NATO`s Article 5, the alliance`s core mutual defense clause.
"I stand with it. That`s why I`m here. If I didn`t stand with it, I wouldn`t be here," he said.
The comments followed remarks made a day earlier in which Trump appeared to question the US commitment to Article 5, saying there were "numerous" definitions of it.
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