NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that the combined defense and security spending of NATO’s European allies and Canada has reached approximately 4% of their gross domestic product (GDP). He said he expects member states to present concrete plans for achieving the alliance’s 5% spending target at the NATO Summit in Ankara.
Ahead of the NATO Leaders’ Summit in Ankara, Rutte stated that NATO’s European allies and Canada have significantly increased their defense spending.
He noted that last year, European allies and Canada raised their core defense expenditures by approximately 20% compared to the previous year. He added that an additional $258 billion had been invested in defense during 2025 and 2026.
“This trend is continuing,” Rutte said, emphasizing that member states remain committed to increasing defense spending.
Defense and Security Spending Reaches Around 4% of GDP
Rutte stated that the total defense and security spending of NATO’s European allies and Canada has already reached approximately 4% of GDP.
Recalling that NATO leaders agreed at last year’s summit to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, Rutte explained that 3.5% of the target would be allocated to core defense investments, while the remaining 1.5% would be directed toward other security-related expenditures.
“I Expect Concrete Plans in Ankara”
Rutte said he expects allied countries to present clear commitments on how they intend to reach the new target during the Ankara summit.
“In Ankara, I expect countries to present clear, concrete, and credible plans for achieving the 5% target. What we have seen so far has been highly impressive.”
New Defense Industry Agreements to Be Announced
Rutte also revealed that during a defense industry forum scheduled for Tuesday, new defense contracts worth tens of billions of dollars will be announced.