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NATO allies agreed on Wednesday more than double their target of defense expenses of 2% of the gross domestic product at 5% by 2035, in the most decisive move of the Alliance for more than a decade.
In a joint statement, the Western military bloc said that it was “united in the face of profound threats and challenges of security”, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security and the “persistent threat” of terrorism.
“The Allies undertake to invest 5% of GDP each year on basic defense requirements as well as on detection and security expenses by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations.”, He continued.
The 5% figure is made up of “at least” 3.5% of GDP which should be spent for a “pure” defense, the rest going to security and “critical infrastructure” linked to defense to guarantee, the press release said: “Our civil preparation and our resilience, unleash innovation and strengthen our industrial defense base”.
Allies will have to submit annual plans “showing a credible increasing path to achieve this objective,” NATO said, following the decline in certain Member States, in particular Spain.
Some Member States have not yet reached the 2014 objective to spend 2% of GDP for defense.
The historical decision comes in a context of tensions in the Middle East and the current war between Ukraine and Russia. The members were also pushed to the new target after years of pressure in the two terms of American President Donald Trump for the Canadian and European Washington allies to share the burden of collective defense more.
On Wednesday, the Alliance also reaffirmed its “commitment to defend itself towards collective defense”, as devoted to article 5 according to which an attack on an attack is an attack on all, after question points on the reliability of the United States with regard to this central pillar of NATO.
“We remain united and firmly in our determination to protect our billions of citizens, defend the alliance and protect our freedom and our democracy,” the statement said.
‘Quantum leap’
Speaking to the summit, NATO secretary general, Mark Rutte, said the agreement would feed a “quantum jump” in the collective defense of the Alliance.
The agreement “would not only increase our security, but also would create jobs,” said Rutte, saying that the Allies had made “important commitments to respond to significant threats”.
The allies have recognized the severity of the threats that the Alliance is confronted, he said, and was “united by understanding that we must intensify to stay safe”.
He said President Trump stressed that America is attached to NATO, but expects European allies and Canada to help more, “and that’s exactly what we see them doing,” said Rutte.
Rutte acknowledged that it was the “first day” of the efforts necessary to increase the defense capacities of the Alliance and said: “We must innovate and we must act quickly”.
“The decisions taken today will make NATO much stronger NATO, they also make NATO a fairer alliance. The determination of the allies is clear: we are in the same whole, engaged in article 5, and we are determined to remain firm,” he said.
While answering the press questions about his relationship with Trump, Rutte said: “I think he deserves all praise.”
