NATO leaders agreed to raise defence spending to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035, giving President Donald Trump what he asked for nearly a decade ago when he labelled allies “freeloaders.”The pledge, approved at the alliance’s annual summit, more than doubles NATO’s current two percent benchmark and splits the bill in two parts, with 3.5% for regular military budgets and 1.5% for infrastructure such as roads, rail lines, and bridges that could move troops in a crisis.“There is absolute conviction with my colleagues at the table that, given this threat from the Russians, given the international security situation, there is no alternative,” said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.Almost every member backed the wording, officials said. .Spain refused, arguing it can meet its commitments with far less money, while Slovakia hinted it may also stay below the line.“We fully respect the legitimate desire of other countries to increase their defense investment, but we are not going to do it,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told reporters. Spain’s military budget sat at 1.28% of GDP last year, the lowest in NATO.Finnish President Alexander Stubb, whose country shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia, hailed the decision as “the birth of a new NATO, which means a more balanced NATO and a NATO which has more European responsibility.”.Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz warned that letting any member duck the target “is a bad example” for everyone else. One NATO official told Politico that “It’s incredibly unfair to the alliance.”Trump, who returns to Washington claiming victory, is to hold separate talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after the summit. .Zelensky attended a private dinner on Tuesday but was not participating in today’s main session.The formal signing of the five percent pledge is expected to happen today. The pledge must still be approved by each country’s government through a vote.
