THE HAGUE, Netherlands (Chatnewstv.com) — NATO leaders meeting in The Hague on Wednesday committed to dramatically increase defense spending across the alliance, pledging to allocate at least 5% of national GDPs annually toward military and security-related investments by 2035.
In a joint declaration issued at the close of the summit, the Heads of State and Government reaffirmed the alliance’s “ironclad commitment to collective defence,” as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, amid what they described as “profound security threats,” especially from Russia and persistent terrorist threats.
“We remain united and steadfast in our resolve to protect our one billion citizens, defend the Alliance, and safeguard our freedom and democracy,” the leaders said.
Under the new framework, member states agreed to allocate at least 3.5% of GDP to core defense expenditures — including capability targets and military readiness — and up to 1.5% for infrastructure resilience, cybersecurity, innovation, and critical civil preparedness. The plan will be reviewed in 2029.
“This is a historic step to ensure NATO is not only the strongest Alliance in history but remains the most prepared,” a senior NATO official told reporters on the sidelines of the summit.
Leaders also reaffirmed their “sovereign commitments” to support Ukraine, with spending toward Kyiv’s defense and defense industry included in the 5% calculation.
The declaration also emphasized greater transatlantic industrial cooperation and the elimination of barriers to defense trade among allies. The summit concluded with a note of appreciation to the Netherlands for hosting, with the next NATO meeting scheduled in Türkiye in 2026, followed by Albania.
The announcement marks one of NATO’s most ambitious peacetime spending targets and reflects a dramatic shift in posture driven by the ongoing war in Ukraine and heightened geopolitical tensions with Moscow.
By Gabriel Ani
