NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is set to call for a significant increase in collective defence spending and capabilities as he meets UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London, with a focus on addressing rising security threats, particularly from Russia.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will emphasize the need for a “quantum leap” in collective security during a meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Monday. Rutte is expected to renew calls for member states to substantially boost defence spending in response to growing global threats, including those posed by Russia.
According to excerpts from Rutte’s upcoming speech released by NATO, the alliance requires a “400% increase in air and missile defences” as well as thousands of additional armoured vehicles and shells. “We see in Ukraine how Russia delivers terror from above, so we will strengthen the shield that protects our skies,” Rutte is expected to say.
The meeting precedes a NATO summit in the Netherlands, where all 32 member countries are anticipated to commit to increased military spending. Rutte has proposed a new target for alliance members: spending 3.5% of GDP on military and an additional 1.5% on “defence-related expenditure,” including infrastructure such as bridges, airfields, sea ports, and roads.
This proposed spending target aligns with longstanding demands from former US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly described the alliance’s current 2% goal as insufficient. NATO’s present target, set in 2014, is 2% of GDP, with 22 of the 32 member countries currently meeting or surpassing that threshold. Only Poland exceeds the proposed 3.5% target, allocating 4.32% of GDP to defence. The United States maintains the largest defence budget in NATO at 3.4% of GDP.
A majority of NATO members have recently indicated plans to increase their defence capabilities in light of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and calls from the US for European allies to share more responsibility for their own security.
In the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP, with an aim of reaching 3% by 2034. The UK government has also announced plans to construct 12 new attack submarines and six ammunition factories, representing the most significant overhaul of British defences in more than three decades.
Germany has committed to a substantial rise in military spending for 2025. Its parliament recently approved a constitutional amendment that allows defence spending above 1% of GDP to be exempt from the nation’s debt-brake, enabling increased investment from a country traditionally cautious about leading on European military expenditure.
