President Trump departed for The Hague this week, looking to cement a pivotal shift in NATO’s approach to defense spending. The alliance announced that, except for Spain, every member had agreed in preliminary talks to raise their expenditures to five percent of GDP — more than doubling the long-standing two percent target that many nations had failed to reach.
The agreement came after years of sharp criticism from Trump, who called out certain NATO countries for relying too heavily on the United States for their security. The new five percent goal includes 3.5 percent for traditional military needs such as air defense and recruitment, and an additional 1.5 percent for infrastructure like roads and bridges that troops could utilize.
Spain was the lone holdout, citing its extensive welfare state and the strain such spending would impose. “We fully respect the legitimate desire of other countries to increase their defence investment, but we are not going to do it,” said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. In 2024, Spain spent only 1.28% of its GDP on defense — the lowest in NATO.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, serving in the role since October 2024, offered a hopeful outlook for the summit. In a private message shared by Trump, Rutte announced, “You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening. It was not easy, but we’ve got them all signed onto 5 percent!” He added, “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done. Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win.”
Trump emphasized that the United States doesn’t necessarily have to match the five percent target due to its separation from many of the threats NATO faces, allowing resources to be directed elsewhere. Meanwhile, Rutte reaffirmed NATO’s backing of recent U.S. military action in Iran, stating unequivocally, “Iran should not have its hands on a nuclear weapon. I would not agree that this is against international law — what the U.S. did.”
Trump will use the summit to deepen alliances and pursue new avenues for cooperation. His schedule includes a potential meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, focusing on NATO enlargement and the alliance’s role in supporting Ukraine. An administration official stated that Trump aims to “reaffirm the United States’ strong ties with our allies and partners.”
Originally anticipated as a venue to review NATO’s role in the Russia–Ukraine war, the summit’s focus has evolved. The Israel–Iran ceasefire, a recent win credited to Trump, is now at the top of the agenda. The shift underscores the former president’s approach to leveraging NATO as a tool for American interests and security, making certain that Europe bears its fair share of the cost.
The agreement confirms that NATO can evolve when pressed and that American taxpayers can expect a better balance of financial burdens across the alliance. The challenge now is making sure this shift translates into long-term resilience and accountability for a coalition that has too often relied on U.S. strength.
