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NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Monday expressed optimism that European allies and Canada are "on a trajectory to equalize their defense spending" with the United States, ahead of a critical two-day leaders' summit in Ankara. Speaking at Turkey's presidential palace, Rutte said the evidence so far is "impressive," as President Donald Trump continues to pressure allies to spend more on defense.

Coverage Comparison

Deutsche Welle reported Rutte's remarks and the projected $258 billion (€226 billion) increase in defense spending by European allies and Canada in 2025 and 2026, noting that they are already investing around 4% of GDP in defense and security. The outlet also highlighted US pressure on NATO allies, including comments by US NATO Ambassador Matthew Whitaker that Trump "fully expects that all allies will step up immediately and get on the path to 5% and do it with urgency." Deutsche Welle also reported on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's plans to aggressively ramp up defense spending to reach the 5% threshold before 2029.

The Hindu — World reported on the summit's broader context, including European leaders' aim to set aside strife with Trump over Iran and Greenland and show they are stepping up to defend the continent as Washington reduces its commitments. The outlet noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend a dinner hosted by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who will also hold bilateral talks with Trump. European officials hope Trump's relationships with Erdogan and Rutte will ensure a smooth summit, but they cannot be sure given lingering transatlantic bitterness over the Iran war and Trump's frequent criticism of NATO.

Key Claims

  • NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte projected that European allies and Canada are on track to equalize their defense spending with the United States.
  • European allies and Canada are projected to invest a combined $258 billion more in defense in 2025 and 2026 than in previous years, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
  • European allies and Canada are already investing around 4% of their GDP in defense and security, according to Rutte's remarks as reported by Deutsche Welle.
  • At a summit last year, NATO members committed to invest 5% of their GDP on defense by 2035, with 3.5% allocated to core defense budgets and 1.5% on strategically important infrastructure.
  • US President Donald Trump has pressured NATO allies to increase defense spending, as reported by both Deutsche Welle and The Hindu.
  • German Chancellor Friedrich Merz plans to aggressively ramp up defense spending to reach the 5% threshold before 2029, as reported by Deutsche Welle.
  • Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will attend a dinner hosted by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, as reported by The Hindu.
  • The Iran war has impacted the alliance and European leaders' relationships with Trump, as reported by The Hindu.
Rutte called on all NATO members to present "clear, concrete and credible plans" at the Ankara summit to meet the spending targets. In a Truth Social post, Trump complained that the United States was spending money to protect NATO members "without getting any benefit from so doing." Rutte and other NATO leaders have insisted that the alliance contributes to US security and that Europeans are heeding Trump's calls to spend more on their own defense.

"The summit next week will focus on turning extra spending into combat-ready capabilities, and significantly scaling up our defence industries," Rutte said in Berlin on Wednesday. "NATO is, and will always be, a transatlantic alliance but we need to rebalance it for the better. Working closely with the United States, European allies and Canada are taking greater responsibility for conventional defence in Europe."