Pentagon chief: NATO likely to back Trump’s 5% defence spending target
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NATO is nearing agreement on Trump’s 5% defence spending goal, but members remain split on timing. The US is also reviewing its global troop deployments.
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Flags of Alliance members flap in the wind prior to a meeting of NATO foreign ministers at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Thursday, April 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday he is confident NATO allies will rally behind US President Donald Trump’s demand for a substantial increase in defence spending, predicting near-consensus on a 5% of GDP target ahead of the alliance’s summit later this month.
"I'm very encouraged by what we heard in there," Hegseth said following a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels. “Countries in there are well exceeding 2%, and we think [we are] very close, almost near consensus, on a 5% commitment to NATO.”
Trump has urged NATO allies to raise their defence spending to 5% of GDP, more than double the current target of 2%. Talks are underway to finalize the scope and timeline before the June 24–25 NATO summit in The Hague.
NATO debates timeline as nations weigh readiness and industrial capacity
While Hegseth expressed optimism, saying “we think everybody's gonna get there,” he acknowledged that a few unnamed countries had not yet committed to the target.
Diplomats suggest European governments view increased spending as the cost of ensuring continued US commitment to NATO, particularly under Trump’s leadership. A deal would allow Trump to claim a policy win during the summit.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has backed a model that splits the 5% target into 3.5% for direct military investment and 1.5% for broader defence-related infrastructure. “That combination constitutes a real commitment,” Hegseth said, supporting Rutte’s proposal.
Eastern states push for faster timeline; Germany faces troop increase
The question of when to hit the 5% remains divisive. Rutte has proposed a 2032 deadline, but Eastern European nations argue that timeline is too slow.
“We need to agree on the 5% in five years. We don’t have time for 10 years, we don’t have time even for seven years,” said Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur. Sweden's Defence Minister Pal Jonson backed a 2030 deadline.
Germany, facing significant defence expansion, will need 50,000–60,000 additional active troops to meet new NATO capability targets, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said.
US reviewing troop deployments; “right-sizing” global posture
Separately, Hegseth confirmed that the US is reviewing its military force posture worldwide in consultation with allies.
“There are reasons why we have troops in certain places, and we respect and understand that,” he said. “It is also prudent that we review that force posture in real time alongside our allies… to make sure it’s right-sized.”
The ongoing debate also includes defining what constitutes “defence-related” spending, with suggestions ranging from cybersecurity to infrastructure. A NATO diplomat said the aim was to “find a definition precise enough to cover only real security-related investments, and at the same time broad enough to allow for national specifics.”
