NATO Secretary General Demands Credible Defense Spending Plans at Ankara Summit

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday demanded that members put forward clear, concrete and credible plans to reach the organization’s defense spending targets at its annual summit in Ankara. Rutte spoke in the Turkish capital ahead of the two-day summit starting on Tuesday at a crucial time for the alliance, with the United States scaling down its security role in Europe.

Washington has been pressing allies to shoulder more of the spending burden.

The 32 nations agreed last year to invest 5 percent of their gross domestic product on defense — 3.5 percent on their defense budgets and 1.5 percent on roads, bridges and ports so troops and equipment can move faster in times of conflict. Spain endorsed the goal but said it could fulfill NATO’s security requirements without spending so much.

Some countries are still struggling to meet the alliance’s old target of 2 percent of GDP. ” He did not elaborate.

U.S. Position and European Spending Trends U.S.

Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker suggested last week that the U.S. has something in store for those who do not step up, but declined to say more. “President (Donald) Trump fully expects that all allies will step up immediately and get on the path to 5 percent and do it with urgency,” Whitaker said.

” He said NATO estimates that they will invest a combined $258 billion more in defense in 2025 and this year than they have in previous years.

NATO on Tuesday is due to make announcements showcasing the military equipment being bought with billions of dollars more being spent on defense and security. ” Among the projects, many of them prepared and signed long before the summit, is one to replace NATO’s aging fleet of surveillance planes.