Egypt Daily News – At the close of the NATO summit in The Hague, member states agreed to an exceptional increase in defense spending, pledging to allocate 5% of their gross domestic product (GDP) to defense and security by 2035. The landmark decision comes amid growing concerns about former U.S. President Donald Trump’s long-standing skepticism toward NATO and doubts over his commitment to defending U.S. allies.
According to the summit’s final communiqué, at least 3.5% of each member state’s GDP will be dedicated annually to military expenditure, with an additional 1.5% allocated to broader security efforts. These include protection of critical infrastructure and cybersecurity initiatives aimed at safeguarding digital networks.
The statement reaffirmed NATO’s core principle of collective defense, which has been under scrutiny due to Trump’s ambiguous stance. “We reaffirm our unwavering commitment to collective defense, as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty — an attack on one is an attack on all,” the declaration read.
Trump, adopting a more conciliatory tone during the summit, praised the agreement as a “great victory for everyone.” He emphasized that he had long pushed for a 5% defense spending target and welcomed the alliance’s commitment to meet that goal. “I’ve been asking them for years to increase it to five percent, and now they’re doing it,” Trump said. “I think this will be very big news. We stand with them.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Trump was in “excellent spirits” during a royal dinner hosted by King Willem-Alexander at the Dutch royal palace. NATO officials believe the increased spending is vital to counter rising threats from Russia and to maintain Trump’s support, given his past criticisms that Europe fails to invest sufficiently in its own defense.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever noted that the era of European complacency is over. “As Europeans, we must recognize that our long disconnection from history has ended,” he said, stressing the need for the continent to assume more responsibility for its own security in “an extremely difficult period.”
Trump: Iran-Israel Ceasefire Holding, U.S. Will Strike Again if Needed
In remarks before meeting with NATO leaders, Trump commented on the recent de-escalation in the Middle East, saying the ceasefire between Iran and Israel was “going well” and described the development as “a great victory for all.”
However, Trump also issued a stark warning to Tehran, stating that the U.S. would not hesitate to launch another strike if Iran attempted to rebuild its uranium enrichment program. When asked directly whether he would authorize further military action, Trump replied, “Absolutely.”
