NATO leaders convened Tuesday for a pivotal summit poised to either unite the alliance behind unprecedented defense targets or expose deepening rifts. Secretary-General Mark Rutte urged members to adopt a 5% GDP defense spending pledge by 2035, warning: "We are living in much more dangerous times... enemies might want to attack us." The proposal follows the Russia Ukraine War and Middle East volatility, with Rutte stressing investment is vital to "defend our way of life."
While Britain, France, Germany, and frontline states backed the target, Spain rejected it as "unreasonable." Slovakia reserved judgment on implementation. U.S. Ambassador Matthew Whitaker called the moment "historic," envisioning a "renaissance of defense industries," but President Trump’s stance remains ambiguous after earlier claims that the U.S. "should not have to" shoulder disproportionate burdens.
Trump’s attendance—his first since returning to office—was overshadowed by his unilateral strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and claims of an Israel-Iran ceasefire. These actions diverted attention from Ukraine, now in its fourth year of war. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy arrived seeking urgent support but was excluded from the spending pledge negotiations, highlighting Kyiv’s diminished spotlight despite Rutte’s insistence NATO can "manage more than one conflict."
The summit starkly contrasts with 2023’s Washington meeting, where NATO vowed to back Ukraine’s "irreversible path" to membership. Zelenskyy now faces ammunition shortages and delayed F-16 deliveries while allies debate spending. With U.S. elections looming, Ukraine’s future hinges on sustained Western commitment amid competing global crises.