On Tuesday (25), leaders from countries that are part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) gather in The Hague, the Netherlands, to discuss the increase in national defense expenses, as well as the escalation of tension in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.
At the summit, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and United States President Donald Trump’s leading country advocates the proposal to raise from 2% to up to 5% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of each country the amount that nations will pay in defense. This number is higher than Americans themselves spend: 3.4% of GDP.
Some European countries resist the idea, especially Spain. Last year, the Spaniards were the least disbursed financing in defense, about 1.28%, and said they will not be able to meet the 5%goal. According to most leaders, this increase is necessary due to increased risks of a more widespread war due to the invasion of Russia to the Ukrainian territory.
The deal is also seen as a strategic gesture to try to keep Americans committed to the military alliance. In the past, Trump criticized the allies and threatened to leave NATO that, according to him, depends a lot on money from the United States.
