Sweden and the Netherlands Announce Defense Spending of 5% of GDP

• Sweden and the Netherlands plan to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP in line with NATO requirements.
• These countries are focused on enhancing military capabilities in response to threats from Russia.
• It remains unclear how the Netherlands will find the necessary funds to implement its plans.

This was reported by Associated Press, ABC News.

Increase in Defense Spending by Sweden and the Netherlands

Less than two weeks before the NATO summit, Sweden and the Netherlands announced their intention to raise defense spending to 5% of their gross domestic product. This decision aligns with the demands of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump and his NATO counterparts will meet at the summit in the Netherlands on June 24-25, where they plan to agree on a new defense spending target. He insists that Europe must ensure its own security while Washington focuses on China and its own borders.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson noted that "Sweden will reach the new NATO spending target of 5% of GDP, of which at least 3.5% will be allocated to essential defense needs to meet the new NATO benchmarks."

"We are in a specific geographical situation where we need to respond to future threats from Russia," Kristersson told reporters in Stockholm, standing next to NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.

After Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, 32 NATO allies agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on their military budgets. However, new NATO plans to protect Europe and North America from Russian attacks require investments of at least 3%.

The goal is now to raise this threshold to 3.5% for core defense expenditures such as tanks, fighter jets, air defense, missiles, and hiring additional military personnel. An additional 1.5% is planned for infrastructure such as roads, bridges, ports, and airfields to enable armies to deploy more quickly and prepare societies for potential attacks.

According to the latest NATO data, Sweden spent approximately 2.25% of its GDP on defense last year, while the Netherlands spent 2.06%, ranking among the 22 of 32 allies that met the old NATO benchmark.

The Dutch government announced plans to increase defense spending to 3.5% of GDP to reach the 5% target. However, it remains unclear where approximately 18 billion euros (20 billion dollars) will come from.

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Breukelman called the decision "historic" and expressed hope that other NATO countries would also increase their spending.

"I hope this will happen," he said.

Poland and the Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—have already publicly committed to 5%, and Rutte noted that most allies are ready to support this goal.

A major question remains regarding the timeline for countries to reach the new spending targets. Initially, the year 2032 was mentioned, but Rutte stated that Russia might be ready to attack NATO territory by 2030.

The United States insists on setting an urgent timeline. However, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani stated that his country would also reach 5%, but it would take a decade to do so.

Теги: Європа