NATO boss praises ‘Dear Donald’ for pushing alliance to boost defense spending: ‘You made this change possible’
Nato chief’s gushing message to ‘Dear Donald’ at summit
- Nato members have agreed to significantly increase their defense spending to 5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.
- Secretary General Mark Rutte credited Donald Trump for driving this change, addressing him as “Dear Donald” and declaring, “you made this change possible”.
- The new commitment, ratified at the annual summit in The Hague, specifies that 3.5 percent of GDP will go to core defense requirements, with the remaining 1.5 percent allocated for critical infrastructure, civil preparedness, and strengthening defense industrial bases.
- This agreement comes after years of Donald Trump's insistence on greater burden-sharing, including past threats regarding the alliance's mutual defense provisions.
- During the summit, Donald Trump affirmed his commitment to Nato's Article Five mutual defense provision, stating, "We're with them all the way."