As NATO leaders gather in The Hague for a crucial two-day summit, the alliance faces significant challenges, including a pressing demand from US President Donald Trump for member states to increase their defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP).
This requirement has sparked intense debate among NATO allies, with European leaders striving to balance their commitment to collective defense with the need to reassure Trump of their dedication to the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte emphasized the importance of the defense spending pledge, stating, “The defence investment plan that allies will agree in The Hague introduces a new baseline, 5 percent of GDP to be invested in defence.
This is a quantum leap that is ambitious, historic and fundamental to securing our future.” The proposed plan would allocate 3.5% of GDP to core defense spending, such as weapons and troops, and 1.5% to security-related investments, including infrastructure and cyber defense.
However, the summit’s outcome is uncertain due to the recent US military strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, which has heightened tensions in the region. Iran’s targeting of a US military base in Qatar on Monday has added to the complexity of the situation, making diplomacy more challenging.Â
Kimberly Halkett noted that European leaders are focused on diplomacy to de-escalate the situation and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“Given the escalation that has taken place in recent days, that is a task that has become much more challenging to accomplish, which is why this meeting [at the NATO summit] has become so much more critical,” she reported.
The summit also aims to send a strong message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that NATO is united and determined to expand and upgrade its defenses to deter any potential attack.
Rutte’s view is that consensus among NATO allies is almost universal in blaming Iran for failing to negotiate a way out with the international community and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Putin, however, has dismissed NATO claims that Russia could attack a member of the alliance, calling them lies used to justify vast military spending.
The stakes are high, and if the meeting doesn’t go as planned, NATO risks appearing weak and divided, just as its European members see Russia as a significant threat since the end of the Cold War.
The new defense spending plan would mean hundreds of billions of dollars more in defense spending over the next decade, a significant increase from the current 2.6% of NATO GDP spent on core defense.
European Union leaders want to convince Trump that NATO is taking his demands into account while also urging him to continue supporting Ukraine. “They don’t want the Americans to abandon the Ukrainians.
They don’t want to see the Americans negotiate a settlement with Putin without taking into account the real concerns of Ukraine,” said Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra.
The summit’s outcome will have far-reaching implications for global security, and it remains to be seen how NATO leaders will navigate these complex challenges.