NATO member states have committed to increasing their national defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, fulfilling a key demand from U.S. President Donald Trump. The final communiqué from the NATO summit in The Hague specifies that member countries will allocate at least 3.5% of GDP annually to military capabilities and an additional 1.5% to securing critical infrastructure. The move marks a significant escalation in alliance-wide defense commitments amid heightened global tensions.
Spain’s opposition to the target dominated early summit discussions. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez warned that increasing military expenditure to that level could endanger the country’s social welfare and public services. While most NATO members backed the plan, Spain remains a vocal outlier, arguing for a more balanced approach to defense and domestic priorities. The spending framework is nonbinding but is expected to guide long-term budget planning among NATO allies.
