(Bloomberg) — NATO allies have agreed a new commitment to spending at least 2% of gross domestic product on defence, furthering the alliance’s previous goal of “getting closer to 2%.”
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Representatives of 31 NATO member states have agreed to a permanent commitment to invest at least 2%, according to people familiar with the matter. They said the allies would confirm that more defense spending was needed.
NATO leaders are scheduled to sign the pledge during their annual summit in Vilnius on July 11-12. They are also ready to agree on a long-term support program for Ukraine, including efforts to improve political relations and a possible commitment to accelerate accession when conditions permit.
The alliance made its previous 10-year pledge in Wales in 2014. NATO countries pledged to spend more on defense after Russia invaded Ukraine last year, but many countries — including Luxembourg, Canada and Italy — are still struggling to comply with the old rules. . guideline.
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NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday that he expects allies to “make a more ambitious defense investment pledge, to invest at least 2% of GDP annually in defence.”
Eleven out of 31 allies are expected to meet the military alliance’s target of spending at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defense this year, according to estimates released by NATO on Friday. Among the countries that achieved this year’s target were Hungary, Romania and Slovakia.
A senior US official said the new directive would not have a timeline because compliance is supposed to continue.
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