NATO commits to 5% defence, security spending by 2035

New Delhi, Jun 25: NATO’s 32 member states have agreed to raise their defence and security spending, committing to invest 5% of their GDP annually by 2035. The decision comes after sustained pressure from US President Donald Trump, who hailed the move as “a big win for the US, Europe and Western civilisation,” according to the BBC. The announcement was formalised in the Hague Declaration issued at the summit in the Netherlands. “Allies commit to invest five per cent of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence- and security-related spending by 2035,” the joint statement read.

This marks a substantial shift from NATO’s current target of 2% of GDP for core defence, a benchmark not all members met in 2024. The new framework includes 3.5% of GDP for core military spending and an additional 1.5% for broader security-related areas such as cyber defence, civil resilience, and critical infrastructure protection, reports the BBC.

“We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defence as enshrined in Article 5 — that an attack on one is an attack on all,” the declaration stated, reiterating NATO’s foundational principle. The statement is seen as a rebuttal to previous remarks by Trump that cast doubt on the alliance's commitment to mutual defence, reports the BBC.

Although Russia's invasion of Ukraine was notably absent from this year's declaration, unlike previous years, the document still referred to the “long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security.” Members are required to submit annual plans that demonstrate a “credible, incremental path” toward the 5% goal, with a formal review scheduled for 2029.