NATO chief Mark Rutte is pushing an ambitious proposal to increase alliance defense spending in a way that satisfies U.S. pressure without fully adopting Donald Trump’s 5% GDP demand. The plan may help avoid a rift between the U.S. and its allies at the upcoming NATO summit.
Key Facts:
- NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte proposed a defense spending target of 3.5% of GDP, plus 1.5% for related security infrastructure.
- The proposal is seen as a compromise to meet Donald Trump’s 5% defense spending demand without a formal 5% pledge.
- NATO’s current goal is 2% of GDP; 22 of 32 members currently meet this threshold.
- Spending on items like roads and bridges that support military operations may be included in the broader category.
- Estonia, Poland, and Lithuania have pledged to reach or exceed 5% by next year, outpacing even the U.S. in defense burden by GDP.
The Rest of The Story:
NATO leaders are preparing for a high-stakes summit in The Hague, where defense spending will be a central issue.
Rutte’s proposal offers a blended approach—3.5% directly for defense and an additional 1.5% for broader national security spending.
This compromise aims to appease former President Donald Trump’s demand without forcing members into a hard 5% commitment, which many view as economically unworkable.
The exact scope of the broader spending category is still under discussion.
It may include infrastructure projects essential to military readiness, such as modernizing roads and bridges to accommodate heavy equipment.
While NATO has not formally confirmed the proposal, officials say Rutte is actively working with allies to shape a new spending framework.
As of now, no NATO country meets the full 5% GDP defense spending level.
However, front-line states like Estonia, Poland, and Lithuania have pledged to hit or surpass it, citing the growing threat from Russia and the importance of national security.
Good to join today’s informal EU Council. As we work to boost our resilience & strengthen our defence we need to invest more and produce more. This cannot wait. And we can do this best together including through #NATO–#EU cooperation. Thanks to @eucopresident for the invitation! pic.twitter.com/QvWWoUQdZ3
— Mark Rutte (@Markrutte_Nato) May 3, 2025
Commentary:
This proposal is long overdue.
For decades, American taxpayers have shouldered the lion’s share of NATO’s defense burden while many European allies spent lavishly on welfare programs and ignored their military obligations.
Rutte’s plan at least begins to correct that imbalance by raising expectations across the alliance.
The reality is that the global threat landscape has changed, especially since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
If European nations truly believe in collective defense, they must match that belief with hard dollars—not symbolic gestures.
A 3.5% defense spending commitment, paired with infrastructure upgrades, shows progress—though it still falls short of what’s really needed.
Trump’s demand for 5% might sound steep, but it forces the issue that NATO has ducked for too long.
A growing number of Americans rightly question why the U.S. continues to protect countries that refuse to invest in their own defense.
At some point, “shared values” must come with shared sacrifice.
On that note, we should also be honest about what those “shared values” even are anymore.
Many European nations have become deeply autocratic in domestic policy—censoring speech, centralizing power, and undermining traditional freedoms.
It’s time to ask whether this alliance is still a union of free nations—or just an expensive relic of the Cold War.
If Europe wants the U.S. to keep defending it, it needs to prove it’s not only willing to pay, but also committed to the foundational values that once defined the alliance.
Anything less is a betrayal of the very mission NATO was created to uphold.
The Bottom Line:
Rutte’s plan may offer a diplomatic solution to Trump’s push for increased NATO spending without locking allies into an economically unrealistic 5% defense mandate.
It reflects growing pressure for European countries to do more for their own security.
While the proposal moves in the right direction, the bigger question is whether today’s NATO countries still share the principles that made the alliance worth preserving.
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