Rubio: All NATO members to agree to 5% defense spending over next decade
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Tuesday. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that all NATO nations "will have agreed on a goal" of reaching 5% in defense spending over the next decade by time the military alliance has held its summit next month.
Why it matters: President Trump has long complained other members have ripped off the U.S. and failed to meet the military spending target of 2% of their GDP. During the 2024 election campaign he made threats that he'd "encourage" Russia "to do whatever the hell they want" to countries that didn't meet the NATO spending goal.
Driving the news: During a Thursday appearance on Fox News' "Hannity," Rubio credited Trump for pushing back against other NATO members during his first term at the 2018 summit, which he called "one of the most important moments in NATO history."
- He told Fox News' Sean Hannity there had been improvements since then.
- "And I can tell you we are headed for a summit in six weeks in which virtually every member of NATO will be at or above 2%," Rubio said.
- "But more importantly, many of them will be over 4% and all will have agreed on a goal of reaching 5% over the next decade."
The big picture: Then-NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in February 2024 he expected a record "18 Allies" of the 32-country alliance "to spend 2% of their GDP on defense."
- To meet Trump's 5% goal, current NATO chief Mark Rutte proposed that members increase direct defense expenditures to 3.5% of GDP by 2032 and a further 1.5% on wider security-related spending — which AFP notes major nations Germany and France backed Thursday.
What they're saying: Rutte said that most member nations were "set to reach the initial aim" of spending 2% of GDP on defense this year, "and many have already announced plans to go much, much further, per a statement NATO's office shared with Axios.
- This is "crucial because it is clear that 2% is not nearly enough," he said in his email. Discussions at the summit in Antalya, Turkey, would be focused on what more the alliance would need for the future, Rutte said.
- "We know we will need greater investment in our core military requirements" as well as additional broader defense-related investments, "including infrastructure and including resilience," he added.
- In regards to Rubio's remarks on the 5% goal, his office directed Axios to his statement saying "we expect that Allies will commit to an ambitious spending target in The Hague."
Flashback: Trump says he'll keep U.S. in NATO as long as everyone pays "fair share"
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
