NATO Considers New Spending Targets at Upcoming Hague Summit

NATO members are in discussions about establishing a spending target for civil defense and support for Ukraine. This would be in addition to the core military budget goals. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced this on Monday.

The current target for NATO members is to spend 2% of GDP on defense. However, many have increased military spending since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump is urging them to spend 5% of GDP on defense.

Kristersson stated that a summit of NATO leaders in The Hague in June may result in an agreement. This agreement could set a defense spending target above 3% of GDP. It may also include a second target for broader security and defense-related spending.

The discussion includes whether NATO should have a target figure for civil defense, preparedness, and support for Ukraine. This would run parallel to the military defense target figure, according to Kristersson.

The defense spending target could be set at 3.5%. An additional 1.5% could be allocated for civil defense, Ukraine support, and other areas outside immediate military defense, he suggested.

NATO estimates indicate that 23 of the alliance's 32 members met or exceeded the 2% target last year. Some major European economies, such as Italy and Spain, have spent approximately 1.5% and 1.3% respectively.

Sweden became NATO's 32nd member in March last year. This followed a shift in foreign policy prompted by concerns about Russia. Kristersson affirmed Sweden's commitment to meeting NATO's decided commitments.

A European diplomat mentioned that discussions on spending targets for the Hague summit are in the initial stages. There is an understanding that new military capability targets set by NATO would necessitate spending around 3.5% of GDP.

The diplomat, speaking anonymously, noted that meeting the 5% target would require additional elements. These include enhancing resilience and military mobility.