June 5 (UPI) — NATO defense ministers are proposing a 5% annual investment in defense spending by member nations to enhance defensive capabilities during a meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
The proposed defense investment plan would require member nations to invest 5% of their respective gross domestic products in defense, NATO officials announced.
The change would make NATO a “stronger, fairer, more lethal alliance and ensure warfighting readiness for years to come,” according to NATO.
The ministers’ plan describes “exactly what capabilities allies need to invest over their coming years … to keep our deterrence and defense strong and our one billion people safe,” NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said.
U.S. supports increased NATO member spending
Many NATO members currently spend about 2% of their respective GDPs, which President Donald Trump has said is insufficient.
The 5% defense investment by NATO member states is virtually assured, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told media upon arriving for Thursday’s meeting.
“We’re here to continue the work that President Trump started, which is a commitment to 5% defense spending across this alliance, which we think will happen,” Hegseth said.
“There are a few countries that are not quite there yet,” Hegseth added. “I won’t name any names, [but] we will get them there.”
If approved during the upcoming NATO Summit, defense investments would require respective member nations to spend equal to 3.5% of GDP on core defense spending, plus 1.5% in annual defense and security investments, including infrastructure.
The two-day NATO Summit is scheduled to start on June 24 at The Hague.
Ukraine support and nuclear deterrence
An ad hoc NATO-Ukraine Council also met and reaffirmed NATO’s support of Ukraine and agreed that nuclear deterrence is its primary goal.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and European Union Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Minister Kaja Kallas joined the council to discuss support for Ukraine.
Rutte said NATO allies have pledged nearly $23 billion in security assistance for Ukraine in 2025 and are focused on preventing the use of nuclear weapons by Russia and other nations.
The final meeting of NATO ministers during the summit also affirmed the alliance’s focus on nuclear deterrence.
“Nuclear deterrence remains the cornerstone of alliance security,” Rutte said.
“We will ensure that NATO’s nuclear capability remains strong and effective in order to preserve peace, prevent coercion and deter aggression.”
Trump nominates U.S. general for NATO commander
Trump also nominated U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich to lead combined U.S. and NATO forces in Europe.
If approved during the NATO Summit, Grynkewich would become NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe and commander of the U.S. European Command.
Trump is scheduled to attend the NATO Summit.
If approved by NATO member states, Grynkewich would replace current Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Chris Cavoli.
Grynkewich is an experienced fighter pilot, and his nomination affirms that the United States would continue to emphasize defensive security for Europe.
A U.S. officer has been NATO’s supreme allied commander since Gen. Dwight Eisenhower first held the post in 1951.
