At the 2025 NATO Summit, a major change was announced — member nations have agreed to raise defence spending to 5% of their GDP. This new benchmark, pushed by U.S. President Donald Trump, replaces the long-followed 2% target and includes both core military expenses and broader security infrastructure.
The decision is creating challenges for several countries. Many NATO members already struggle to meet the older goal, and the higher target could place more strain on national budgets. Nations like Spain, which spent just 1.24% of GDP on defence, may even face economic pressure from the U.S.
Another big shift at the summit was the reduced focus on Ukraine. In contrast to past years, the U.S. administration ruled out Ukraine’s NATO membership and paused military support. Meanwhile, the summit’s tone toward Russia was noticeably softer, reflecting Trump’s past relationship with President Putin.
These developments have raised questions about NATO’s unity and direction. While the alliance still stands strong on collective defence, the new goals and changing tone suggest a more complex road ahead for global security cooperation.
