NATO member nations agreed Wednesday during a summit in the Netherlands to raise their defense spending floor from 2% to 5% of gross domestic product by 2035.
The 32 allies signed on to what Trump called a “monumental win for the United States, Europe and Western civilization,” following his sustained pressure on European partners and Canada to shoulder a greater share of collective defense costs.
President Trump hailed the agreement as proof that his tough approach strengthened rather than fractured the alliance, rebutting critics who warned his demands would drive members away.
“In a very historic milestone this week the NATO allies committed to dramatically increase their defense spending to that five per cent of GDP,” he told reporters before departing The Hague. “This is a monumental win for the United States because we were carrying much more than our fair share. But this is a big win for Europe and for Western civilization.”
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte credited Trump’s influence for the breakthrough, saying that America’s insistence on fair burden-sharing paid off. “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done,” Rutte said in a private message shared by the president on Truth Social.
Addressing reporters, Rutte added, “And that is exactly what we see them doing,” referring to the solidarity shown by European members and Canada.
Trump’s push for higher contributions comes after years of rebuking allies for lagging behind the 2% target, with several key members—including Croatia, Portugal, Italy, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia and Spain—falling short in 2024.
The Atlantic Council recorded that European states collectively spent $266 billion on defense as of December 2024, compared with $184.4 billion from the United States in direct defense outlays and humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
At the summit, NATO leaders reaffirmed their “ironclad commitment to collective defense” under Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, pledging that an attack on one ally remains an attack on all.
Trump underscored his support for that principle, declaring, “I stand with [Article 5], that’s why I’m here. If I didn’t stand with it, I wouldn’t be here.”
He recounted being moved by the passion with which fellow heads of state spoke of protecting their countries, saying he left the closed-door session with a renewed view of Europe’s dedication to defense. “They love their countries and they were really respectful to me… I left here saying these people really love their countries, it’s not a rip-off, and we are here to help them protect their country.”
Despite the broad agreement, Spain signaled it would not meet the 5% floor, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calling the target “incompatible with our worldview.” Trump seized on Spain’s stance to leverage trade negotiations, warning, “You know, what we’re going to do? We’re negotiating with Spain on a trade deal. We’re going to make them pay twice as much.”
Beyond easing the burden on U.S. taxpayers, Trump noted that American defense contractors stand to gain from an extra $1 trillion per year in allied defense orders under what he dubbed the “Hague Defense Commitment.”
He said the shift represents “tremendous things have been accomplished,” and that the alliance emerges stronger with Europeans and Canada now committing to invest at levels previously unimagined. The summit’s outcome defies earlier predictions that Trump’s pressure would splinter NATO, delivering a tangible achievement for his foreign policy agenda.