NATO Commits to 5% Defence Spending by 2035 in The Hague Declaration

Alliance pledges expanded investments, strengthened readiness, and continued support for Ukraine amid rising global threats

The Hague, Netherlands – The leaders of NATO member countries have agreed to a landmark commitment to boost collective defence spending to 5% of national GDPs by 2035, according to the joint declaration issued from the NATO Summit held in The Hague on June 25.

Reaffirming their “ironclad commitment” to Article 5 of the NATO treaty — the principle that an attack on one is an attack on all — the declaration outlines a strengthened resolve to invest in military readiness, crisis management, and collective security across the transatlantic Alliance.

A Historic Spending Pledge

The new 5% target is divided into two categories:

• At least 3.5% of GDP annually will be allocated to core defence spending and NATO capability targets.

• Up to 1.5% will be directed toward infrastructure protection, cybersecurity, civil preparedness, defence innovation, and industrial resilience.

Member states will be required to submit annual plans demonstrating credible paths toward the 2035 objective. NATO leaders will review progress and strategic balance in 2029 based on the evolving security landscape.

This marks a significant increase from the current NATO guideline of 2% GDP defence spending, which Canada, under Prime Minister Mark Carney, has already committed to meet this year.

Unified Support for Ukraine

The declaration also reaffirms NATO’s enduring support for Ukraine in its war of self-defence against Russia. Allies agreed that direct contributions to Ukraine’s defence and defence industry will be included in their individual defence spending tallies.

“Ukraine’s security contributes to ours,” the statement reads, underscoring the alliance’s broader understanding of interconnected defence.

Innovation and Transatlantic Defence Cooperation

In addition to military investments, NATO will work to remove defence trade barriers between member states and bolster industrial cooperation. This includes leveraging emerging technologies, accelerating innovation, and expanding defence production capacity across the alliance.

Leaders expressed appreciation to the Netherlands for hosting the 2025 summit and confirmed the next meetings will take place in Türkiye in 2026 and Albania thereafter.

As the world confronts complex and evolving threats, NATO’s expanded defence posture signals a renewed era of strategic readiness and unified deterrence.

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