NATO leaders will dedicate their summit in The Hague, to be held on June 24-25, primarily to one goal: agreeing on a new defense investment commitment for the coming years. Secretary General Mark Rutte has proposed that this commitment reach 5% of GDP, a figure the United States has strongly advocated.

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Negotiations have been prolonged due to Spain’s reluctance. Spain leads the countries for which investing 5% of their gross domestic product represents too great an effort. Although various diplomatic sources affirm there is broad consensus on the 5% figure, they acknowledge it is an enormous effort, and the timeline to reach it is still under discussion.

Rutte proposed the following breakdown: 3.5% of GDP would be dedicated to core military capabilities, while the remaining 1.5% would cover other associated expenses, such as investments in cybersecurity or infrastructure.

Initially, the Secretary General suggested achieving this target by 2032, but many countries considered that unrealistic. The current discussion is focused on reaching it by 2035, with an intermediate review clause set for 2029.

Regarding the 3.5% proposed for pure defense spending, there have been some disagreements with countries that have already individually committed to reaching 5% of GDP and that are asking for more ambition from their partners.

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