NATO members need to strengthen their defensive spending at “a significant 3% or more” of GDP, Alliance Executive Director Mark Latte said on Saturday.
The Alliance Chief’s warning was days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegses failed to “take key responsibility” for European defense, ripping it to the NATO allies for seeking a 5% minimum GDP spending target. It’s here.
According to CNBC, that amount is a dramatic boost from the current 2% Mark members who pledged to meet more than a decade ago.
“We’ll be able to converge over the next few months,” Latte told Politico during an interview panel held on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. He added that members “have to prioritize defense over others,” and referred to social welfare programs to reach a step-up of defense spending targets.
NATO’s 32 members will reach an agreement on new defence spending targets when they met at the June summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Rutte said.
However, Latte argued that despite warnings that European allies could not rely on America’s existence “forever” – Washington was still committed to the alliance.
He said US GDP accounts for 50% of Alliance’s GDP, becoming an “American organization,” and claims there is a “clear commitment to NATO.”
However, the executive director offered some tough advice to his members, amid the more hostile tenors of the United States during the second Trump administration.
“Participate in the discussion by coming up with concrete ideas rather than complaining,” he said at the meeting, CNBC reported.
Trump previously criticized NATO members for not carrying a fair share of their defence spending burden, causing Russia to “do anything” for members who didn’t cough part of the tab during the 2024 campaign. Ta.
