NATO summit expected to agree on defense spending increase
NATO member countries are expected to agree to raise their defense and related spending to 5 percent of GDP at their summit in the Netherlands.
The two-day summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization began in The Hague on Tuesday. The second day of the meeting has started.
US President Donald Trump has been calling on other NATO members to increase their defense spending, saying they depend heavily on the US for defense.
At the start of the meeting, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said, "To make NATO stronger, we have a concrete plan for all allies to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense."
He added, "This will also make NATO fairer to ensure anyone and everyone contributes their fair share for our security." He said the US carries too much of the burden, and that Trump "made this change possible."
The leaders will likely agree to raise their countries' defense spending to 3.5 percent of GDP and defense-related spending, such as that for infrastructure projects, to 1.5 percent by 2035.
On the expected agreement, Trump told reporters, "NATO is going to become very strong with us." He added, "It's a great victory for everybody."
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