US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is expected on Thursday to push for a new NATO defense spending deal that would align with President Donald Trump’s demands ahead of the upcoming summit later this month.
Trump, known for his unpredictable leadership style, has called on alliance members to commit to spending 5% of their GDP on defense at the NATO summit scheduled for June 24–25 in The Netherlands.
In response, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has proposed a compromise: 3.5% of GDP for core military spending by 2032, along with an additional 1.5% dedicated to broader security needs like infrastructure and resilience.
Diplomatic sources suggest that Rutte is close to securing consensus on the proposal ahead of the summit in The Hague. However, some member states remain hesitant about the scale and pace of the financial commitments.
“I’m really, absolutely, positively convinced that at the summit with the 32 [members], we will come to an agreement on this significant increase in defense spending,” Rutte said on Wednesday.
Spain has emerged as the most resistant member, expected to meet NATO’s current 2% spending target only by the end of this year. Other countries have reportedly requested more flexibility—seeking to extend the timeline or eliminate the clause requiring a 0.2 percentage point annual increase in core defense spending.
Still, the compromise appears likely to satisfy Trump’s public demands while easing pressure on European allies struggling to keep up. It allows Trump to claim victory without imposing the full financial burden immediately.
Hegseth is expected to use Thursday’s meeting with NATO defense ministers in Brussels to press for formal agreement on the proposal.
While the United States has endorsed Rutte’s plan, its ambassador to NATO emphasized on Wednesday that Washington expects clear deliverables: “plans, budgets, timelines.”
In parallel, NATO ministers in Brussels will approve new capability targets designed to bolster military readiness against the threat from Russia. NATO estimates suggest that fulfilling these capability requirements would cost member nations an average of 3.5% to 3.7% of their GDP.
Hegseth, a former television host, stirred tensions at NATO during his previous visit in February by warning that the US could consider withdrawing troops from Europe to focus more on China. Though no formal announcements have followed, the remark left NATO allies uneasy.
As the alliance nears agreement on defense spending, another contentious issue looms over the upcoming summit: how to handle Ukraine’s role.
Trump’s return to office has reversed Washington’s previous firm support for Ukraine, complicating NATO’s united front in response to Russia’s ongoing war. Underscoring this shift, Hegseth skipped a key meeting of Ukraine’s international supporters in Brussels on Wednesday.
European allies are urging NATO to send a clear message of solidarity by inviting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the summit in The Hague. For now, NATO has only confirmed Ukraine’s participation but has not clarified whether Zelensky himself will attend.
