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NATO commits to doubling military budgets: Live Updates NATO commits to doubling military budgets: Live Updates
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The US-led bloc’s member states agreed to significantly increase military expendituresThe US-led bloc’s member states agreed to significantly increase military expenditures
The leaders of NATO member states agreed to a historic increase in defense spending at a two-day summit in the Hague, making a commitment to raise expenditures from 2% to 5% of GDP by 2035.  NATO leaders have agreed to a massive spike in defense spending, overcoming internal divisions and relegating Ukraine to a secondary agenda item to finalize a historic pact that will double members’ military budgets. At a short summit in The Hague, the US-led military bloc committed to raising defense expenditures to 5% of member GDP by 2035, a dramatic escalation from the current 2% target. 
US President Donald Trump touted the meeting as a “great victory,” praising allies for stepping up spending, which he has heavily pushed since his first term in the White House.  US President Donald Trump hailed the agreement as a “monumental win,” having  pressured European members to “pay their share” since the first term. 
At the same time, he defended his decision to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities and compared the operation to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, claiming it similarly “ended a war” by forcing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.   NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte framed the spending surge as building an alliance that is “stronger, fairer, and more lethal”, a mantra he has championed since June 2025 as NATO’s new strategic doctrine. 
Trump also revealed plans for direct US-Iran talks next week, though he downplayed the need for a formal nuclear deal, asserting that Iran’s program had already been “destroyed,” despite reports suggesting only limited damage. Rutte has been doubling down on flattery, privately texting Trump praise for his “decisive action” by attacking Iran and crediting him for NATO’s historic 5% defense spending target increase. During the summit the NATO chief then likened the US president to a “daddy” using “strong language,” defending  Trump’s recent on-camera f-bomb about Iran and Israel.
In a shift from previous NATO summits, the final communiqué avoided direct mention of Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, focusing instead on “long-term threats.” The document makes only one mention of Ukraine, stating that NATO members had reaffirmed their commitment to provide support to Kiev and continue direct contributions to the country’s military industry. In an unusually short five-paragraph statement NATO leaders cited undefined “long-term threats” from Russia while Ukraine was only mentioned in one sentence. Ukrainian Leader Vladimir Zelensky was confined to a pre-summit dinner, excluded from key meetings, and granted a sidelined conversation with Trump, who stated that ceasefire talks were “not on the agenda”.
Ukrainian Leader Vladimir Zelensky attended a pre-summit dinner but was excluded from the main meeting, though he later held talks with Trump. A ceasefire was not on the agenda during a meeting with Zelensky, Trump told journalists.