NATO Members to Hike Defense Spending to 5 Percent Over Next Decade, Says Rubio

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday that all NATO member nations are expected to agree on a shared goal of raising their defense spending to 5% of GDP over the next ten years, a major shift ahead of the military alliance’s upcoming summit.

During an appearance on Fox News' Hannity, Rubio said the increase in military spending by NATO allies is a direct result of pressure from President Donald Trump, who repeatedly criticized member countries for not meeting their financial commitments.

Virtually every member at or above 2%, says Rubio 

Rubio praised Trump’s leadership at the 2018 NATO summit, calling it “one of the most important moments in NATO history.” He noted that many members have since raised their defense budgets.

“And I can tell you we are headed for a summit in six weeks in which virtually every member of NATO will be at or above 2%,” Rubio said. “But more importantly, many of them will be over 4% and all will have agreed on a goal of reaching 5% over the next decade.”

Here is what you need to know

Trump has long accused NATO allies of not contributing their fair share and putting too much burden on the United States. On the 2024 campaign trail, he went as far as saying he would “encourage” Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to countries that didn’t meet the current 2% target.

New proposals for higher spending

Earlier this year, NATO’s current Secretary-General Mark Rutte proposed that allies increase direct defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2032, with an additional 1.5% going to broader security-related efforts. Countries like Germany and France expressed support for the plan this week.

In February 2024, then-NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg had already predicted a record number of allies — 18 out of 32 — would meet the 2% spending target this year.

NATO spokesperson says 2% is not nearly enough

NATO spokesperson Njoki Mahiaini said that that most countries were on track to meet the initial 2% target this year, but also said the alliance must go beyond that level.

“This is crucial because it is clear that 2% is not nearly enough,” Mahiaini said. He added that discussions at the NATO summit in Antalya, Turkey, will focus on future investment needs, including infrastructure and overall military readiness.

What’s next

The NATO summit is scheduled for next month, and expectations are high for a formal announcement on the new long-term defense spending goal. If agreed upon, it would mark a significant shift in how the alliance prepares for future threats and shares the burden of security across its member states.