NATO Agrees 5% GDP Defense Target by 2035 as 2025 Spending Jumps 20%

2 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 26

NATO allies have signed onto a new framework targeting defense spending of about 5% of GDP by 2035, marking a sharp shift from the alliance’s long-standing 2% benchmark.
A 20% rise in 2025 spending by European members and Canada reflects pressure from Donald Trump and the shock of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, with Poland and the Baltic states moving fastest.
100 billion euros from Germany’s special rearmament fund underscores the scale of the buildup, but NATO officials and analysts say bigger budgets still do not guarantee ready brigades, ammunition or rapid weapons delivery.
Factories across Europe and the U.S. are struggling with bottlenecks, fragmented procurement and long lead times for systems such as air defenses and long-range fires, leaving Europe reliant on American suppliers and some countries turning to South Korea.
Mark Rutte has argued the alliance now needs smarter investment and more production capacity, as the central question shifts from spending pledges to whether NATO can close capability gaps before Russia exploits them.

With Russia quadrupling its artillery production, can Europe’s fragmented defense industry unite in time to counter a potential 2029 threat?

As Ukraine's cheap drones dominate battlefields, is Europe's multi-billion defense spending on legacy tanks and jets a strategic blunder?