Latest news with #collectivedefence
Malay Mail
9 minutes ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Trump hails ‘monumental win' as Nato agrees to hike defence spending to 5pc of GDP
THE HAGUE, June 26 — Nato countries agreed Wednesday to massively ramp up their defence spending to satisfy US President Donald Trump, who hailed it as a 'monumental win' for America — and reaffirmed his country's commitment to protect its European allies. Trump cut a jubilant figure after Nato's 32 countries agreed to his headline target of five per cent of GDP on defence spending following two days of talks in The Hague. Taking credit for a 'fantastic' outcome that 'no one really thought possible', Trump described the spending hike as 'a monumental win for the United States'. Trump also signed off on a final declaration confirming an 'ironclad commitment' to Nato's collective defence pledge that an attack on one is an attack on all — a reassuring move for European countries worried about Russia. The US leader has repeatedly suggested Washington could withhold protection from European countries unwilling to spend more on defence. The compromise hatched by Nato sees countries promise to dedicate 3.5 per cent of GDP to core military spending by 2035, and a further 1.5 to broader security-related areas such as infrastructure. Spain had been refusing to agree and while it signed the pledge it has said it thinks it can fulfil Nato's demands while spending less — Trump threatening on Wednesday to hit its trade interests in response. But the pledge endorsed in The Hague allows Trump to claim triumph, while in practice providing wiggle room for cash-strapped governments in Europe. 'Couldn't have been nicer' Everything was choreographed at the gathering to keep the volatile US president on board: from chopping back the official part of the meeting, to putting him up overnight in the royal palace. Underpinning the leaders' discussions on defence was Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, with the summit's final statement referring to the 'long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security'. Though its language was watered down from previous years, the declaration also said allies would continue to support Ukraine, 'whose security contributes to ours', and allies will be allowed to use money from the new pledge for military aid for Kyiv. Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky played a less central role than at previous summits — with leaders wary of any embarrassment after an infamous row with Trump during a visit to the Oval Office. But the US president did meet the war-torn country's leader on the summit sidelines, declaring afterwards the encounter 'couldn't have been nicer' and Zelensky hailing a 'substantive' meeting. Trump also said he was talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war, adding: 'I think progress is being made.' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also met Zelensky along with a group of other European leaders, saying afterwards he hoped to 'use the momentum from the summit to continue to step up support for Ukraine'. Nato chief Mark Rutte, also present at the Starmer meeting, renewed a promise that Ukraine's bid for membership remained 'irreversible', but the summit statement avoided any mention of Kyiv's push to join after Trump ruled it out. 'Not a rip-off' Trump had rattled allies on the summit's eve by appearing to cast some doubt on the validity of Nato's mutual defence clause — known as Article Five of the alliance treaty. But the pledge was reaffirmed unequivocally in the summit's final statement — and Trump drove the point home at his closing press conference. 'I came here because it was something I'm supposed to be doing,' Trump said in closing remarks to the press, when pressed on the mutual defence clause known as Article Five. 'But I left here a little bit differently,' said the US leader — who was visibly delighted at the red carpet welcome and the praise lavished on him by Nato's Rutte among others. 'Without the United States, they couldn't really have Nato. Wouldn't work,' Trump said. 'It will in the future, because now they're paying much more money.' — AFP
Al Jazeera
9 hours ago
- Business
- Al Jazeera
NATO commits to major defence spending hike sought by Trump
NATO allies have agreed to massively boost military spending while affirming their 'ironclad commitment' to collective defence. Leaders from the 32-member bloc pledged to allocate up to 5 percent of their national GDP to defence and related sectors by 2035, describing the move as a 'quantum leap' in collective security. The new pledge was made in a summit communique agreed on Wednesday in The Hague. It stated that members would 'invest 5 percent of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence- and security-related spending'. The commitment includes a review point in 2029, conveniently set for after the next US presidential election, to evaluate progress and reassess the threat posed by Russia. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte hailed the agreement as 'transformational', a sentiment echoed by several leaders, though it glossed over clear differences within the alliance. US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly pushed for a higher NATO defence spending commitment, took credit for the shift. '[It's] something that no one really thought possible,' Trump said at the summit. 'They said, 'You did it, sir. You did it.' Well, I don't know if I did it, but I think I did.' In a move that will likely curry favour with Trump, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Wednesday that the United Kingdom expects to spend at least 4.1 percent on defence and security by 2027. Divisions over spending Not everyone is on board. Spain has already said it cannot meet the 5 percent target. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez insisted that his government would stick with the existing 2 percent threshold — a benchmark first set following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. 'Spain can carry out NATO's defence plans at 2 percent of GDP,' Sanchez said. 'This summit secures both our national security and the welfare of our citizens.' Spain is NATO's lowest spender on defence. In 2024, it spent 1.24 percent and was among the nine member countries to fall short of the 2 percent target. Trump was quick to criticise Madrid's stance, threatening retaliation through economic means. 'They want to stay at 2 percent. I think it's terrible,' the US president said. 'We're negotiating a trade deal with Spain — they'll end up paying double.' Belgium and Slovakia also raised objections. Brussels warned that the timeline was unrealistic, while Bratislava said it reserved the right to make independent decisions on its own military spending. Steep spending demands Despite the pushback, the declaration formalised new targets: 3.5 percent for NATO's 'core defence spending,' plus an additional 1.5 percent for broader security measures — from infrastructure upgrades like roads and ports to cyber defence and emergency response capabilities. Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store described the agreement as unprecedented. 'We struggled for years just to get past 2 percent,' he said. 'Now we're talking about 3.5 percent, which is necessary to build the capabilities we need.' The spending demands are steep. As the US increasingly shifts strategic focus to the Middle East and Indo-Pacific, European members are being urged to shoulder more of the military burden. The commitments come as the US remains engaged in multiple theatres, including ongoing arms support for Ukraine's fight against Russia, supporting Israel's war on Gaza, and backing continued strikes on Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. More recently, Israel's war with Iran has further stretched US military resources.
CNA
11 hours ago
- Business
- CNA
Trump reassures allies as NATO agrees 'historic' spending hike
THE HAGUE: United States President Donald Trump took a victory lap at NATO's Hague summit on Wednesday (Jun 25), joining leaders in reaffirming the "ironclad" commitment to protect each other after allies agreed to his demand to ramp up defence spending. The unpredictable US leader appeared keen to take the plaudits as he secured a key foreign policy win by getting NATO's 32 countries to agree to meet his headline target of 5 per cent of gross domestic product on defence spending. In a move that will provide reassurance to European allies worried about the threat from Russia, Trump signed off on a final leaders' declaration confirming "our ironclad commitment" to NATO's collective defence pledge that an attack on one is an attack on all. "It's a great victory for everybody, I think, and we will be equalised," Trump said of the new spending commitment, ahead of the summit's main session. Diplomats said that behind closed doors, Trump insisted there was no greater ally than Washington and urged others to spend some of the new money on US weaponry. The deal hatched by NATO is a compromise that allows Trump to claim triumph, while in reality providing wiggle room for cash-strapped governments in Europe. It sees countries promise to dedicate 3.5 per cent of GDP to core military spending by 2035, and a further 1.5 per cent to broader security-related areas such as infrastructure. Entering the meeting, leaders lined up to declare the summit's spending hike as "historic". NATO allies say the increase is needed to counter a growing threat from Russia but also to keep Trump engaged, with the US leader long complaining that Europe spends too little on its own defence. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said: "As Europeans, we should realise that our long break from history is over." The continent needed to take responsibility for its own security "in a very difficult time", added De Wever. "TOTALLY COMMITTED" Everything was carefully choreographed at the gathering in The Hague to keep the volatile US president on board: from chopping back the official part of the meeting to putting him up overnight in the royal palace. Trump rattled his allies by appearing to cast some doubt on the validity of NATO's mutual defence clause, known as Article Five of the alliance treaty, telling reporters on the way to The Hague that it "depends on your definition". "There's numerous definitions of Article Five," he said. But Rutte insisted Trump remained "totally committed" to the pledge - which was reaffirmed unequivocally in the summit's final statement. Underpinning the leaders' discussions on defence was Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, and in another sop to the demands of allies, the US allowed NATO to refer to the "long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security" in the communique. Though its language was watered down from previous years, the declaration also said allies would continue to support Ukraine, "whose security contributes to ours", and could use money from the new spending pledge to fund military aid for Kyiv. "NICE GUY" That came as Trump was poised to meet the war-torn country's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the summit sidelines. Zelenskyy is playing a less central role here than at previous summits, to avoid a bust-up with Trump after their infamous Oval Office shouting match. But Trump described him as a "nice guy" and added that he was talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war, saying: "I think progress is being made." But despite Rutte's insistence that Ukraine's bid for membership remains "irreversible", NATO's statement avoided any mention of Kyiv's push to join after Trump ruled it out. Hungary's Kremlin-friendly Prime Minister Viktor Orban was more categorical.
Khaleej Times
13 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Trump reassures allies as Nato agrees to 'historic' spending hike
US President Donald Trump took a victory lap at Nato's Hague summit Wednesday, joining leaders in reaffirming the "ironclad" commitment to protect each other after allies agreed to his demand to ramp up defence spending. The unpredictable US leader appeared keen to take the plaudits as he secured a key foreign policy win by getting Nato's 32 countries to agree to meet his headline target of five per cent of GDP on defence spending. In a move that will provide reassurance to allies in Europe worried over the threat from Russia, Trump signed off on a final leaders' declaration confirming "our ironclad commitment" to Nato's collective defence pledge that an attack on one is an attack on all. "It's a great victory for everybody, I think, and we will be equalised," Trump said of the new spending commitment, ahead of the summit's main session. Diplomats said that behind closed doors Trump insisted there was no greater ally than Washington and urged others to spend some of the new money on US weaponry. The deal hatched by Nato is a compromise that allows Trump to claim triumph, while in reality providing wiggle room for cash-strapped governments in Europe. It sees countries promise to dedicate 3.5 per cent of GDP to core military spending by 2035, and a further 1.5 to broader security-related areas such as infrastructure. Entering the meeting, leaders lined up to declare the summit's spending hike as "historic". Nato allies say the increase is needed to counter a growing threat from Russia but also to keep Trump engaged, with the US leader long complaining that Europe spends too little on its own defence. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said: "As Europeans, we should realise that our long break from history is over." The continent needed to take responsibility for its own security "in a very difficult time", added De Wever. Everything was carefully choreographed at the gathering in The Hague to keep the volatile US president on board: from chopping back the official part of the meeting to putting him up overnight in the royal palace. Trump rattled his allies by appearing to cast some doubt on the validity of Nato's mutual defence clause — known as Article Five of the alliance treaty — telling reporters on the way to The Hague that it "depends on your definition. There's numerous definitions of Article Five." But Rutte insisted Trump remained "totally committed" to the pledge -- which was reaffirmed unequivocally in the summit's final statement. Underpinning the leaders' discussions on defence was Moscow's attack on Ukraine, and in another sop to the demands of allies the United States allowed Nato to refer to the "long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security" in the communique. Though its language was watered down from previous years, the declaration also said allies would continue to support Ukraine "whose security contributes to ours" and could use money from the new spending pledge to fund military aid for Kyiv. That came as Trump was poised to meet the war-torn country's president Volodymyr Zelensky on the summit sidelines. Zelensky is playing a less central role here than at previous summits, to avoid a bust-up with Trump after their infamous Oval Office shouting match. But Trump described him as a "nice guy" and added that he was talking to Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war, saying: "I think progress is being made." But despite Rutte's insistence that Ukraine's bid for membership remains "irreversible", Nato's statement avoided any mention of Kyiv's push to join after Trump ruled it out. Hungary's Kremlin-friendly Prime Minister Viktor Orban was more categorical. "Nato has no business in Ukraine," he said. "My job is to keep it as it is."
