Allied commander advocates for defense budget equalling 5% of national economy by 2032, as outlined by Dutch Prime Minister
NATO's summer shindig in June's coming up, and the Old Man Rutte wants his pals to commit to 5% of their GDP on defense-related spending by 2032, according to Dutch PM Dick Schoof.
Trump sure has been yapping about NATO nations beefing up their military coffers, urging them to hit that sweet 5% mark — something not even the US itself can manage.
Schoof's spilled the beans that Rutte sent letters to all 32 NATO nations, pushing them to reach 3.5% of GDP on hard military spending, and 1.5% on related expenditures like infrastructure, cybersecurity, and other jazzy stuff.
Trump's been breathing down Europe and Canada's necks, urging them to bump up NATO's spending target at a Hague gathering next month.
Foreign ministers from the alliance will presumably strategize over the matter at a Turkish soiree next week.
Rutte's mum on the exact numbers being bandied about, but he did mention there are internal discussions afoot within NATO.
NATO diplomats, speaking on the DL, claim the proposal from the past week envisions a yearly increase of 0.2% in direct military spending to 2032. However, the chatter's still in its infancy, and no consensus seems clear yet for these figures.
The parameters around the 1.5% loosely related defense spending are yet to be defined, they say.
"Let's not argue about vague GDP percentages at the moment," Germany's fresh chancellor Friedrich Merz said, during a visit to NATO's Brussels headquarters. He figured that for Germany, each 1% of GDP equates to 45 billion euros ($50 billion).
Trump's been griping about allies freeloading off US military aid, claiming they underspend on their defense. He's also hinted at abandoning countries that don't meet his military spending standards.
Europe's defense spending uptick since Russia's 2022 Ukraine invasion is evident, but Rutte stresses that it needs to go further to fend off Moscow.
22 out of 32 NATO nations already hit the current 2% GDP target for military spending, with some laggards like Italy, Spain, Canada, and Belgium promising to hit that mark by 2025.
The US spent 3.19% of its GDP on defense in the previous year, lagging behind eastern flank nations like Poland, Estonia, and Lithuania that are close to Russia. Yet, the US remains the biggest military spender in NATO, accounting for 64% of its defense budget in 2023.
In an attempt to fortify Europe's purse strings, the EU has suggested easing budget restrictions and sparking a 150-billion-euro defense fund.
- The Dutch Prime Minister, Rutte, has urged NATO nations to commit to increasing their defense-related expenditures to 3.5% of their GDP in hard military spending and 1.5% in related expenses like infrastructure, cybersecurity, by 2025.
- NATO diplomats have suggested a yearly increase of 0.2% in direct military spending towards 2032, as part of an ongoing proposal.
- Despite pushed negotiations, consensus on these figures remains elusive among NATO members.
- On the foreign policy and legislation front, Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz, is weary of focusing on vague GDP percentages, instead emphasizing the tangible cost of 1% of GDP, which equates to approximately 45 billion euros ($50 billion) for Germany.
- The EU has proposed implementing budgetary measures to establish a 150-billion-euro defense fund, as a means to strengthen Europe's military capabilities and support in war-and-conflicts, which has become increasingly important in the face of crises like Russia's 2022 Ukraine invasion.
