The Hague, Netherlands - June 24-25, 2025: Leaders from the 32-member NATO alliance convened at a summit and agreed to substantially increase defense spending.
The commitment involves allocating 5% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually to core defense and security-related expenditures by 2035. This decision, largely influenced by U.S. President Donald Trump, aims to distribute the defense burden more equitably among allies.
The investment is divided into 3.5% for core defense and 1.5% for cybersecurity and infrastructure. Spain stated it cannot meet the target. The summit also reaffirmed NATO's Article 5 mutual defense pledge, and Trump confirmed his support for it.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte described the summit as "transformational," emphasizing solidarity and defense reinforcement. The summit also addressed mobile network disruptions in the Netherlands, with no confirmed cyberattack as the cause.