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July 1, 2025

Anna Murray 

Following two days of talks at the NATO summit at the World Forum in The Hague, the 32 NATO member countries agreed on June 25 to increase defense spending to 5% of their GDP.

Only 3.5% of that overall is expected to be met solely through core defense spending on troops and weapons. In addition, the remaining 1.5% can be allocated to defense-related expenditure.

U.S. President Donald Trump hailed NATO's decision as a monumental win for America. Meanwhile, President Trump reaffirmed the US's commitment to supporting its European allies. However, Spain, Belgium, and Slovakia have stated that they will struggle to fulfill their target.