US underlines NATO members should spend up to 5% of GDP on defense

ATHENS

The US on Thursday underlined that NATO member states should spend up to 5% of their gross domestic product on defense.

In doorstep remarks at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said: “(The) ground war in the heart of Europe is a reminder that hard power is still necessary as a deterrent, and so we do want to leave here with an understanding that we are on a pathway, a realistic pathway to every single one of the members committing and fulfilling a promise to reach up to 5% (of GDP) of spending.”

The US, with some 3.36% of its GDP devoted to defense as of 2023, would also have to boost its spending, he also acknowledged.

Dismissing claims that the US would withdraw from NATO as “hysteria and hyperbole,” he stressed that the Trump administration remains a staunch advocate of a stronger, more capable NATO.

“And the only way NATO can get stronger and more viable is our partners, the nation states that comprise this important alliance, having more capability. This is a collection of not just partners and allies, but of advanced economies, of rich countries who have the capability to do more,” Rubio added.

Also speaking, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte praised US efforts to bring peace to Ukraine.

Underlining Europe’s work to provide Ukraine more support in the face of Russian aggression, which he called the major threat, Rutte remarked that China, North Korea, and Iran are all supporters of Russia’s war on Ukraine and part of the axis threatening the alliance.

Against this background, the Indo-Pacific and European theaters are increasingly interconnected and should be treated as such, he said.​​​​​​​