Trump demands NATO boost defense spending to 5% as Iran-Israel ceasefire overshadows Ukraine at summit. Follow Newsweek’s live blog.
As NATO leaders gathered in The Hague for a critical summit, President Donald Trump shifted the spotlight from Ukraine to the Middle East, urging allies to raise their defense spending to 5% of GDP. The request came as the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran dominated the global conversation, eclipsing traditional summit priorities like Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
What to Know:
Trump demanded NATO members boost military spending to 5% of GDP—more than double the current guideline.
Spain rejected the proposal, pledging no more than 2.1%; Trump called the stance “unfair.”
The U.S. spends about 3.5% of its GDP on defense, but Trump said it would not be held to the same 5% benchmark.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte acknowledged the difficulty of reaching a unanimous agreement on the target.
