NATO presses allies for defence spending plans before Ankara summit
Mark Rutte says members must show credible routes to higher defence outlays as the US demands faster burden-sharing.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has called on alliance members to arrive at this week’s Ankara summit with firm plans for meeting agreed defence spending goals. The push matters because the United States is reducing its security role in Europe while pressing allies to pay more for their own defence, according to AP and Reuters.
Rutte spoke in the Turkish capital on Monday before a two-day gathering of NATO leaders that begins Tuesday. He said allies should submit “clear, concrete and credible plans” for reaching the alliance’s targets.
The meeting brings together leaders from NATO’s 32 member states, including the president of the United States, according to AP and Reuters. It comes as Washington has stepped up pressure on European allies and Canada to increase military spending.
Five percent target under scrutiny
NATO members agreed last year to spend 5 percent of gross domestic product on defence-related needs, according to AP and Reuters. The target includes 3.5 percent for defence budgets and 1.5 percent for infrastructure such as roads, bridges and ports that can help move troops and equipment during a conflict.
Spain backed the goal but has said it can meet NATO’s security needs without reaching that level of spending, AP and Reuters reported. Some members are still working to meet the alliance’s previous target of 2 percent of GDP.
Asked what would happen if some allies failed to produce a clear plan, Rutte said there were “ways” to persuade them if “one or two” still needed convincing. He did not specify what steps the alliance might take.
Matthew Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO, said last week that Washington had something in mind for countries that do not increase spending, but he did not describe it, according to AP and Reuters. Whitaker said President Donald Trump expected all allies to move quickly toward the 5 percent goal.
Rutte said spending trends among European allies and Canada looked strong so far. He said NATO estimates those members will invest a combined $258 billion more in defence in 2025 and this year than in earlier years.
Dutch minister cites new deals
The Netherlands plans to announce more than 3 billion euros, or $3.43 billion, in defence deals and plans in Ankara on Tuesday, Dutch Defence Minister Dilan Yesilgoz told Reuters. She said the announcements would include work with Belgium on air defence and with Britain on naval ships.
Yesilgoz also told Reuters that the Netherlands wants more joint projects with Germany. She said the Dutch package would include concrete plans as well as pledges, but she did not give further details before the formal announcements.
The Dutch announcements are expected to be part of a wider set of spending statements by NATO members at the summit, Reuters reported. Those pledges are intended to show the United States that allies are responding to its demand for higher defence outlays.
Trump pressure hangs over summit
Trump has repeatedly criticised NATO allies over defence spending, according to AP and Reuters. In the past, he has threatened not to defend members he views as failing to contribute enough.
The US president has also called for “loyalty” from NATO allies after some declined to allow their bases to be used in the US-Israeli war on Iran, AP and Reuters reported. Whitaker said last week that Washington wanted NATO partners to take leadership roles inside the alliance.
Asked by Reuters whether she was confident the United States would remain engaged in NATO despite Trump’s remarks about the alliance, Yesilgoz said she had to be confident because the allies needed one another.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.