United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has urged NATO member states to support former President Donald Trump’s call for a significant increase in defence spending. This proposal calls for all NATO allies to raise their defence budgets to 5 percent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a considerable jump from the current target of 2 percent. Hegseth emphasized that being a true alliance requires more than just symbolic representation; it demands active and combat-ready military capabilities. He reiterated that the goal is to continue the strategic groundwork laid by President Trump and insisted that the 5 percent spending goal should be formalized by the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague later this month.

To find middle ground on the proposal, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has suggested a compromise. His proposal includes raising direct defence spending to 3.5 percent of GDP, with an additional 1.5 percent allocated toward broader security and defence-related initiatives. This suggestion aims to balance the financial burden among member nations while still addressing pressing security concerns.

However, reaching even this compromise has proven to be a significant challenge for several European nations, particularly Spain, Germany, and Belgium. These countries find the 5 percent target highly ambitious due to existing economic constraints and relatively low current military spending. Al Jazeera’s correspondent Hashem Ahelbarra reported from Brussels that while the target is seen as difficult, European countries have acknowledged the changing global security environment and have agreed to enhance military coordination. This includes investments in air defence systems, long-range missiles, and improved training programs for troops to prepare for potential geopolitical shifts.

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has been a driving factor behind this push for increased defence spending. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, European NATO members have been gradually boosting their defence budgets in response to heightened security threats. Many NATO nations now consider Russia as the most significant threat to regional stability and are looking to improve their military readiness accordingly.

Despite general agreement on the need for increased defence investment, debate continues regarding the timeline to achieve the 5 percent spending goal. Secretary General Rutte has proposed that this target be met by the year 2032. However, this timeline has been met with mixed reactions. Some member states argue that waiting until 2032 is too late given current threats, while others believe the target itself is unrealistic based on present defence spending levels and industrial capabilities.

Lithuania’s Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene has rejected the 2032 timeline as too delayed and has called for reaching the goal by 2030 instead. Sweden’s Defence Minister Pal Jonson echoed this sentiment, stating that Stockholm also supports achieving the 5 percent target by 2030. In response to these discussions, NATO officials have estimated that meeting the new defence spending objectives would require each country to allocate between 3.5 and 3.7 percent of GDP on average, depending on national circumstances.

In conclusion, the debate over NATO defence spending highlights growing concerns over global security, with a particular focus on the threat posed by Russia. While there is general consensus on the need for increased investment, reaching an agreement on the scale and pace of this increase remains a contentious issue.