NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Monday demanded that allies put forward "clear, concrete and credible plans" to meet the alliance's spending targets at the annual summit in Ankara, Turkey. He warned that there are ways to convince those who hesitate.

The 32 NATO nations agreed last year to invest 5% of GDP on defense – 3.5% on defense budgets and 1.5% on infrastructure. However, some countries still struggle to meet the old target of 2% of GDP. Spain endorsed the goal but argued it could meet security requirements without such high spending.

US Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker suggested Washington has measures for allies that fail to step up, but declined to elaborate. He stated that President Donald Trump expects all allies to "step up immediately and get on the path to five percent and do it with urgency."

Rutte praised increased spending by European allies and Canada, estimating they will invest a combined $258 billion more in defense in 2024-2025. However, these numbers may not satisfy the Trump administration, which has repeatedly criticized allies for insufficient contributions.

Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yesilgoz told Reuters that the Netherlands will announce defense deals and plans worth over €3 billion ($3.43 billion) in Ankara on Tuesday, including partnerships with Belgium on air defense and with Britain on naval ships.

Trump has previously threatened not to defend NATO members that do not spend enough and demanded "loyalty" after some allies refused to allow use of their bases in the US-Israeli war on Iran. Yesilgoz expressed confidence in US commitment, saying "we need each other."

Source: www.aljazeera.com