Rutte presses NATO allies for plans to hit 5% defense target
Why it matters: The push comes as Washington shifts more of Europe’s security burden onto allies ahead of the Ankara summit.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte pressed alliance members on Monday to bring “clear, concrete and credible plans” to reach NATO’s new 5% of GDP defense spending target, set to dominate a two-day summit in Ankara starting Tuesday. The 32-member alliance agreed last year that 3.5% should go to core defense spending and 1.5% to infrastructure such as roads, bridges and ports that can speed troop and equipment movements. Spain has backed the goal in principle but argued it can meet NATO requirements without spending that much, while some members still struggle to reach the earlier 2% benchmark. Rutte said European allies and Canada are on track to invest a combined $258 billion more in defense in 2025 than in previous years, as the Trump administration demands faster burden-sharing.