NATO members increase his spending, but doubts about us remain – DW – 06/25/2025

From the perspective of the European NATO allies, everything went to plan: a short advertisement, from one page and five points, a nice group image and even a dinner with the king and the Dutch queen. in NATO summit in The HagueUS President Donald Trump was in good morale.

When he addressed the press, Trump claimed the credit for ending the war in Iran and obtaining NATO allies To increase defense spending to 5 % From the national GDP by 2035.

He praised European members in the alliance for “the love and passion they showed to their countries”, but he also said they need the United States. He praised the new pledge as a “great victory for Europe and Western civilization.”

What is in the advertisement?

The advertisement says that the allies will spend 5 % on the defense, divided into two parts.

At least 3.5 % of the gross domestic product will be spent on hard defense-which includes the purchase of weapons-so that up to 1.5 % go to other defense investments that enhance military mobility and protection from electronic attacks. The path of spending and balance will be reviewed in the next four years.

However, not all NATO members are on board the entire plane. President Trump called on Spain for refusing to increase spending and warned that he would make the country pay more through trade.

Spain, Slovakia and Belgium seek to cancel the subscription

Spain is the lowest NATO in less than 1.3 % and has not recently agreed to achieve the 2 % goal that was held a decade ago.

Observers said These political turmoil at home Make almost impossible for Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez to approve a 5 % goal. Tens of thousands protested against Madrid last week after accusing a senior leader of the Socialist Party in Sanchez of corruption and called on the opposition to the Prime Minister to resign.

Sanchez asked NATO to be an exemption and said that Spain would achieve the military capabilities that NATO requested, but 2 % of GDP will be sufficient for that.

Poland, which leads to defensive spending, has already announced this year plans to visit it to 4.7 % of GDP, was not happy.

“We believe that any deviation from this principle by any member country is a bad example,” said Polish Defense Secretary and Wadiaao Koseniac Camiz.

Maybe he had a point. Slovakia soon broke out in Spain and also refused to meet the goal.

“The Slovak Republic has other priorities in the coming years of weapons,” Prime Minister Robert Fico, which is published on X.

“Maybe he did not do this by making a loud statement like Spain, but I can assure you that he was working on our diplomats hard to obtain flexibility mechanisms that could help reduce the burden of the Belgian effort.”

Is Washington committed to Article 5?

But even if most of the allies reach a 5 % goal, there is a constant uncertainty in the United States’ commitment to the alliance.

On his way to the top, President Trump said that there are “many definitions” of Article 5 – Modern defense item in NATO. However, after his arrival, NATO allies reassured that the United States was with them “along the way.”

However, some control over damage was needed. “Stop worrying,” said NATO Secretary -General Mark Root. “The United States is completely committed to NATO.”

In the announcement of the summit, the allies reaffirmed the “iron commitment” to collective defense as it is dedicated in Article 5, “The attack on one is an attack on everyone.”

Christine Birzena, the Managing Director of the German Marshall Fund (GMF), told GEOSTRATEGY North, who is currently in The Hague to attend the summit, DW that somehow, President Trump was right. But this was hardly the perfect time to trade the nuances in the item.

She said that while he was left on individual members to choose the extent of their support for an ally to be attacked, the only time that was invoked in Article 5 was after the September 11 attacks on the United States. “The United States was benefiting from Article 5 and this is the part that President Trump should remember,” she said.

There are also fears that over time, the United States may require its support to NATO.

“Later this year, we can expect the United States to consult allies in its global position – which is likely to be reduced by the military presence in Europe and then focus on how these gaps fill,” Raphael, a political colleague of the European Council for Foreign Relations. But he added that the good news was that the United States was not “suddenly like everything on the Europeans.”

Perzina of GMF said there is a conversation on how to compensate Europe for a decrease in forces and assets. “The United States can deploy more nuclear weapons in countries allied as a deterrent against opponents.”

Edited by: Andreas Elmer