THE HAGUE: The leaders of NATO countries have agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP and commit to the principle of collective def...
THE HAGUE: The leaders of NATO countries have agreed to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP and commit to the principle of collective defense, without mentioning Ukraine’s accession to the alliance, in an unprecedentedly brief declaration, following the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) summit in the Hague on June 24-25.
Attack on one is attack on all
"We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defense as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty - that an attack on one is an attack on all," the statement reads.
"We remain united and steadfast in our resolve to protect our one billion citizens, defend the Alliance, and safeguard our freedom and democracy," the declaration noted.
Defense spending
"Allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defense requirements as well as defense-and security-related spending by 2035 to ensure our individual and collective obligations, in accordance with Article 3 of the Washington Treaty," the document noted. "Allies will allocate at least 3.5% of GDP annually based on the agreed definition of NATO defense expenditure by 2035 to resource core defense requirements, and to meet the NATO Capability Targets," it said. "And Allies will account for up to 1.5% of GDP annually to inter alia protect our critical infrastructure, defend our networks, ensure our civil preparedness and resilience, unleash innovation, and strengthen our defense industrial base," the document reads.
According to the declaration, NATO members "will include direct contributions towards Ukraine’s defense and its defense industry when calculating Allies’ defense spending."
Simultaneously, NATO is going to review the parameters of its military investment in 2029. "The trajectory and balance of spending under this plan will be reviewed in 2029, in light of the strategic environment and updated Capability Targets," the document noted.
No barriers
The alliance’s members also confirmed their intention to expand industrial cooperation, removing trade barriers in the sphere of defense.
"We reaffirm our shared commitment to rapidly expand transatlantic defense industrial cooperation and to harness emerging technology and the spirit of innovation to advance our collective security. We will work to eliminate defense trade barriers among Allies and will leverage our partnerships to promote defense industrial cooperation," they noted.
About Russia
That said, NATO continues to believe that Russia poses a "long-term threat" to "Euro-Atlantic security."
"United in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security and the persistent threat of terrorism," NATO members decided to raise their defense spending, according to the declaration.
About Ukraine
With regard to Ukraine, the alliance’s members vowed to continue providing military aid without mentioning the country's potential accession to NATO.
"Allies reaffirm their enduring sovereign commitments to provide support to Ukraine, whose security contributes to ours," the statement reads.
Briefest declaration
The current declaration has been the briefest over the past 30 years. Russia was mentioned once, Ukraine - twice, and China was not mentioned at all, as opposed to previous years.
It has been decided that the next NATO summit will be held in Turkey in 2026, while in 2027, it will be hosted by Albania.
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